Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, has announced it has taken a 20-year lease on a new state-of-the-art air cargo terminal at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS), with operations scheduled to begin in summer 2026.

Strategically located in the CargoPort zone on the Aéroport de Lyon DC1 site, the 25,313 sqm facility sits adjacent to the runway and includes 19,133 sqm of warehouse space, 2,441 sqm of canopy, and 4,400 sqm of GDP-compliant temperature-controlled storage.

The facility is tailored for handling pharmaceutical products and perishables requiring +2°C to +25°C storage, supporting the surrounding Rhône-Alpes region – home to many of the world’s leading vaccine producers.

Developed in partnership with Groupe em2c, Prologis, and the Lyon Airport authority, the terminal aims to strengthen the region’s air cargo infrastructure and economic development. Once operational, it is expected to create over 300 direct and indirect jobs.

The building has been designed to optimise cargo flows and align with SATS and WFS’ environmental and sustainability objectives. Equipped with 36 dock doors – five of which are adapted for aircraft pallets – it will enhance the efficiency of import and export processing.

The new facility will be integrated into SATS and WFS’ global cargo handling network, which spans more than 215 stations across 27 countries and serves trade routes accounting for over 50% of global air cargo volumes.

Laurent Bernard, vice-president of WFS France, said: “”Aéroport de Lyon DC1 will become our second largest hub in France after Paris CDG for our French operations. Its strategic location and design will allow us to streamline cargo processing, especially for pharma shipments in the world’s leading vaccine-producing region.

“The new terminal will shorten turnaround times and increase our capacity in one of France’s most important logistics corridors, while reducing our carbon footprint with a modern building that has earned a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ classification, which measures the sustainability of buildings.”

Cédric Fechter, chairman of the management board at Aéroports de Lyon, said: “This project perfectly illustrates VINCI Airports’ strategy for developing cargo activities and reaffirms the key role played by Aéroports de Lyon in the regional logistics chain. The creation of a pharma centre, operated by WFS, addresses the growing needs of healthcare product transportation, directly linked to the excellence of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region – the world’s leading vaccine-producing region, which has also been home to the World Health Organization (WHO) since last April.

“This partnership demonstrates our ability to bring together industry stakeholders around high-performing infrastructure that supports the attractiveness and competitiveness of the region.”

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