WFS inks cargo terminal lease at JFK

Worldwide Flight Services signed a 15-year lease on a new 346,000-square-foot cargo terminal that is projected to open during the fourth quarter of 2020 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport.    Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) inked a 15-year lease on a new 346,000-square-foot cargo terminal at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
   The cargo terminal is the first phase of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s comprehensive vision plan to enhance the international reputation of JFK, and will be the airport’s first dedicated facility for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishables cargo, WFS said.
   The new building is projected to open during the fourth quarter of 2020.
   WFS said the facility will have a throughput capacity of over 300 million kilos a year and will offer improved cargo flows, reduced transfer times, shorter truck waiting times, and the latest security and screening systems and procedures.
   “We are transforming JFK into a world class, state-of-the-art airport and – with this new cargo facility – a major economic engine,” New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. “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.”
   The new $132 million Aero JFK II facility is being built by Aeroterm on a 26-acre site, following the demolition of two 40-year-old and vacant cargo buildings at the airport. It will also provide ramp space for three wide-body aircraft.
   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.
   “We have been working on this project for some time and it is a proud day for WFS and for JFK to see the commitment Governor Cuomo, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Aeroterm are making to this wonderful airport and this magnificent new cargo facility,” said Michael A. Duffy, WFS’ Americas chief executive officer.
   “As a major supporter of the New York cargo community, WFS is delighted to witness the ambition for JFK’s cargo future, which will reinforce its position as one of the world’s leading freight airports and gateways,” he said. “With our own volumes at JFK growing some 6 percent in 2017, the Aero JFK II facility will give us the capacity to grow and to fulfill our prime global commitment to safety, security and service quality. It will also enable us to deliver the dedicated pharma and perishables handling facilities customers at JFK are so keen to see.”