WFS handles largest single shipment at Paris pharma centre

Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) has handled 34 temperature-controlled containers at its new pharma centre at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) – its largest single shipment since it opened the €10 m facility late last year.

The containers, which were handled on behalf of WFS’ customers AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Kuehne + Nagel, spent 24 to 48 hours at the pharma centre ahead of their delivery to China on an AirBridgeCargo Boeing 747 freighter.

Hugo Rodrigues, vice president of cargo France, at WFS, explained: “This particular shipment for AirBridgeCargo and Kuehne + Nagel was the biggest so far and helped to demonstrate the capabilities of both the facility and our team.

“Our decision to invest in this state-of-the-art facility to support our airline and freight forwarder customers, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, has already been validated by the strong demand we are seeing from so many different organisations.

“With the need for pharma products all over the globe likely to soar in 2020, we will deliver the capacity and quality of service our customers need to ensure the integrity and efficiency of their pharma supply chains.”

WFS’ pharma centre is the only dedicated facility of its kind at Paris CDG, the second largest airfreight hub in Europe.

Features of the pharma centre include: a team of 30 experts onsite, temperature-controlled warehousing and handling services and a transport fleet that is suitable for moving pharmaceutical cargo.

Currently, around 30 airlines and freight forwarding companies regularly use WFS’ pharma centre to support their cold chain shipments.

WFS estimates that this year it will handle 8,000 tonnes of healthcare and life sciences products at its pharma centre.