Virgin Atlantic sells North American cargo handling operations to WFS

Virgin Atlantic sells North American cargo handling operations to WFS    Virgin Atlantic Cargo has entered into a long-term outsourcing arrangement with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), which involves the sale of the airline’s North American cargo handling operations. Financial details have not been disclosed.
   The agreement, for an initial term of five years, will result in WFS assuming all the assets and staff associated with the airline’s cargo handling division, along with the commitment to handle Virgin’s air cargo product at five sites — Newark, Washington Dulles, Orlando, Miami and Los Angeles. WFS already handles the airline’s cargo product at JFK and Las Vegas airports.
   The five sites will be transferred to WFS over the next two to three months.
   “We reached a point where we had to branch out, possibly into ramp or passenger handling, or outsource the operation to a company who can realize the value when aligned to theirs,” said Jack Fiol, Virgin Atlantic’s senior vice president of cargo in the United States. “The long-term growth of this operation and therefore the future of the staff, is more assured when aligned with a company whose core business is ground handling,” Fiol added.