Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, has opened a new 25,400-square-meter cargo terminal at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France, consolidating its local operations into a single facility designed to improve cargo handling efficiency and expand capacity for specialized freight.

The new Aéroport de Lyon DC1 facility, located in the airport's Cargoport zone, was developed in collaboration with Aéroports de Lyon, Prologis and the em2c Group. Directly connected to the airport's runways, the terminal serves WFS's 380 customers in the Lyon area and represents the company's second-largest operation in France after Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The facility includes 4,400 square meters of temperature-controlled storage for specialized and sensitive cargo, including pharmaceuticals and perishables. It also features 36 loading docks for imports and exports, five of which are dedicated to air freight pallet transfers.

The building is designed to improve cargo flows between landside access points, warehouse handling areas and airside operations, supporting the region's healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Laurent Bernard, vice president of WFS France, said the new terminal represents another milestone for the company, which began operating in Lyon in 1971.

Its design, temperature-controlled facilities and organization of cargo flows are intended to strengthen WFS's capacity and operational efficiency when handling sensitive and high-value shipments.

The terminal supports more than 300 direct and indirect jobs. It is targeting a BREEAM Very Good sustainability rating and features a roof designed to accommodate a future solar installation.

The new facility is part of the combined SATS and WFS global network, which operates more than 215 stations across 27 countries.