WFS wins China hub gig
26 / 09 / 2011
WORLDWIDE Flight Services (WFS) has won the aircraft ground handling and cargo warehouse handling contract in partnership with Airport Terminal Services (ATS) for St Louis Airport’s (US) first Chinese freighter.
China Cargo Airlines landed at the airport, which is awaiting news of tax breaks to develop its cargo warehouse facilities, on 23 September from Shanghai (China).
“Our long experience in serving China Cargo at stations around the world is an ideal complement to ATS’ leading presence at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport,” Barry Nassberg, chief operating officer at WFS, said.
The fate of the future ‘US-China hub’ may depend on the successful obtainment of tax credits.
“[An absence of tax credits] will minimise your competitiveness to others,” Yang Guoqiang, China’s consul-general in Chicago and one of the lead negotiators on the hub, said. “There are other areas that would want an operation like this. And this is international business. There will be a lot of business for Midwest exporters. The first China flight that came to St Louis went back to Shanghai with electrical components from Emerson Electric, made in St Louis.”