Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has demonstrated its confidence in the New York air cargo market by signing a 15-year lease on a new state- of-the-art, 346,000 square feet cargo terminal, the first phase of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s comprehensive Vision Plan to enhance the international reputation of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

WFS is already one of the largest handlers at JFK, handling over 650,000 tonnes of cargo a year for nearly 70 airlines at its nine facilities at the airport, currently spanning a footprint of over 760,000 sq ft. The projected opening of the new building in Q4 2020 supports WFS’ commitment to the highest standards of safety, security and service, and will also enable it to offer JFK’s first dedicated facilities for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishables cargo.

The facility, which will have a throughput capacity of over 300 million kilos a year, will offer improved cargo flows and reduced transfer times, shorter truck waiting times and incorporate the latest security and screening systems and procedures.

Aeroterm has been awarded a contract by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners to build the new Aero JFK II facility, a $132 million investment that will see its tenant WFS operating from the airport’s most modern cargo location. The Port Authority Board has also approved a further $62.2 million project to upgrade taxiways CA and CB at JFK to accommodate today’s modern freighter aircraft.

Announcing the first phase of JFK’s air cargo modernization program, New York Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, said: “We are transforming JFK into a world class, state-of-the-art airport and – with this new cargo facility – a major economic engine. With this much- needed modernization of JFK’s cargo operations, we will help create jobs and support economic growth across the entire New York metropolitan area for years to come.”