(CHICAGO) Worldwide Flight Services, part of the SATS Group, has opened a new cargo terminal in the Northeast Cargo Area at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a 2025 build that airport leaders and freight carriers see as a timely push to handle rising air freight volumes. The facility started operations in July under a 15-year lease, giving WFS a long runway to plan growth at one of the busiest air cargo gateways in the United States 🇺🇸.
The company now runs four facilities at Chicago O’Hare, with a combined 595,000 sq ft of warehouse and office space and direct ramp handling on the airfield. WFS says the site raises its annual handling capacity at the airport by more than 10% to above 310 million kilos per year, while adding modern equipment, sustainability features, and dedicated temperature-controlled space aimed at high-value and time-sensitive goods.
Strategic location and operational benefits
Cargo leaders point to this expansion as the latest proof that Chicago O’Hare stands near the top of the North American market for freight speed and reach. The new building gives airlines and forwarders more room to move perishable food, pharmaceuticals, and other sensitive freight with tighter control and less delay.
It sits within a cluster of cargo operations on the airport’s northeast side, a location picked for its ramp access and link to aircraft stands that speed up loading and unloading. The layout reduces towing distances and idle time, tightening the loop between aircraft holds, warehouse doors, and truck docks—small time savings that add up and improve connection windows.
Physical scope of the 2025 build
- Warehouse: 122,000 sq ft with wide-bay staging for ULD and loose cargo
- Office: 10,000 sq ft for operations control, airline desks, and customer service
- Ramp: 200,000 sq ft with direct aircraft access for faster turns
- Cold chain: 3,000 sq ft, two-storey cooler, 100+ skid positions, six ULD pallets
- Automation: Three-tier AKE storage racking and automated bypass system
- Sustainability: Electric forklifts, solar panels, EV chargers
- Total ORD footprint for WFS: 595,000 sq ft across four facilities
- Annual capacity: 310+ million kilos, a rise of 10%+
Automated features include a three-tier AKE storage racking system and a bypass system that steers cargo around congestion points. The company has also added electric forklifts, solar panels, and EV chargers as part of a push to cut emissions tied to on-airport operations.
“This new facility and investment reinforces WFS’ long-term commitment to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and its airline and logistics customers. With on-site ramp handling, brand new equipment and sustainability features, it significantly enhances our presence at the airport and provides the growth capacity we need as a leading provider of safe, secure and high quality handling services at one of the premier air cargo gateways in the United States,” — Frank Clemente, SVP Cargo, North America at WFS.
In practical terms, Clemente’s point lands on the warehouse floor: more staging space, shorter taxi and towing distances, and faster truck-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-truck transfer times.
Customers, contracts, and commercial impact
WFS reports it now supports:
– China Airlines
– Eva Air
– Kalitta Air
– Flexport
– Atlas Air
– UPS
– USPS
– Air France KLM Martinair
– WestJet
– Martinair
– and others
Company managers say the added space and systems helped them win new contracts and renewals over the past year, suggesting the project is already feeding the commercial pipeline. For airlines and forwarders, on-site ramp handling under one roof can reduce handoffs—a common source of delays and damage.
Industry context and why timing matters
Industry watchers have followed the build closely because the timing lines up with broader trends:
– Shippers demand more control over cold chain and high-value goods
– E-commerce is pushing parcel volume into air networks
– Supply chains still seek predictable lanes for time-sensitive freight
Analysts note facilities like this create strategic flexibility: during weather, congestion, or scheduling issues, extra ramp space, automated racking, and a temperature-controlled buffer can steady the flow. VisaVerge.com’s analysis suggests airports that add capacity with clear service gains often see a secondary effect: more interest from carriers planning seasonal upgauges, charters, and special product launches that need assured space and handling speed.
Sustainability and staff welfare
The sustainability features serve practical goals beyond public reporting on emissions:
– Electric forklifts reduce fumes inside the warehouse, improving air quality for staff on long shifts.
– Solar panels can offset part of daytime power draw, helpful when refrigeration units and material handling run at steady loads.
– EV chargers support service vehicles on the ramp and, over time, help move more airside traffic to electric fleets.
These steps reflect standards many carriers now expect from cargo partners at top-tier airports and offer ongoing cost and environmental benefits.
Cold chain and sensitive goods handling
WFS’s expansion adds resilience for shippers of sensitive goods:
– The two-storey cooler with 100+ skid positions allows separation by temperature range, product type, and priority.
– Six ULD positions in the cold room let operators stage by flight and priority, reducing time outside controlled zones.
For pharma makers subject to strict rules, and perishable food importers/exporters working tight shelf-life windows, that control matters as much as speed. Fewer handoffs and better staging can reduce spoilage risk and insurance costs.
Operational advantages and automation
The operational math is straightforward: more ramp space and smarter storage equals higher throughput and cleaner peaks.
Key operational benefits:
1. Better staging room reduces stacking and recovery time.
2. Automated bypass systems keep standard flows moving during exceptions.
3. Three-tier AKE racking saves floor space and cuts manual handling.
4. Direct ramp handling shortens distances between ULDs and aircraft.
These features translate to faster release times, fewer service failures, and more predictable shifts for crews.
Economic and regional impacts
The economic effect touches Chicago’s broader logistics base:
– More work for truckers, warehouse support, brokers, and maintenance teams
– Growth in cartage, cold storage near the airport, and packaging vendors
– A stable 15-year lease gives partners predictability to invest in equipment and training
City officials frame cargo growth as a pillar of the airport’s long-term plan, complementing passenger projects like new concourses and the future Global Terminal. Improved cargo capacity helps keep Chicago O’Hare competitive in global rankings and supports the return of belly capacity as passenger widebodies increase.
System resilience and network effects
WFS’s four-facility setup allows activity to be spread to reduce single-point strain. With the new site online, cargo can be routed to the building that best fits handling needs—cold chain, general freight, express, or specialized loads.
When one facility is crowded or impacted by weather, other sites can absorb the bump more easily, simplifying scheduling for carriers and giving forwarders clearer booking choices.
What comes next through 2032
WFS and SATS indicate the new terminal is a platform for further growth:
– Continued investment in automation and cold chain tools
– Power systems that support a shift to electric equipment
– Modular storage and smarter IT that can be added without major rebuilds
At the airport level, Chicago O’Hare’s wider plan through 2032 includes new concourses and a future Global Terminal. More long-haul flights add belly capacity, and ground handling must keep pace—WFS’s mix of ramp space and storage helps absorb that extra cargo.
For official updates:
– Airport planning and operations: flychicago.com
– WFS company and station information: wfs.aero
– North America cargo contact: Frank Clemente, SVP Cargo, North America
– General company email: [email protected]
Final takeaways
- The WFS build adds capacity where the market needs it most: near the aircraft, with cooler space for sensitive products, and with equipment that keeps freight moving during busy peaks.
- Contract wins tied to the expansion suggest customers are seeing performance improvements in daily operations, not only on paper.
- For shippers of pharma, perishables, and other sensitive cargo, the cooler layout and staging areas reduce time outside controlled zones and support strict release requirements.
- For general freight, automation and ramp space improve consistency of release times and reduce bottlenecks when flights arrive close together.
- The expansion signals that Chicago O’Hare continues to invest in core cargo assets—capacity, cold chain control, and lower on-site emissions—helping the airport retain and attract airline and logistics activity.
This project is more than a single terminal: it’s part of a broader cycle of expansion at Chicago O’Hare that supports jobs, investment, and the steady flow of goods across the region and the world.
This Article in a Nutshell
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) launched a new cargo terminal at Chicago O’Hare in July 2025 under a 15-year lease, expanding its ORD footprint to 595,000 sq ft across four facilities and boosting annual capacity above 310 million kilos (a more than 10% increase). The 2025 build features a 122,000 sq ft warehouse, 10,000 sq ft offices, 200,000 sq ft ramp and a 3,000 sq ft two-storey cold room with over 100 skid positions and six ULD pallet slots. Automated three-tier AKE racking, a bypass system and sustainability measures—electric forklifts, solar panels and EV chargers—improve throughput, reduce emissions and enhance staff welfare. Direct ramp access shortens towing distances, reducing transfer times for perishables, pharmaceuticals and time-sensitive freight. WFS reports contract wins and renewals with major carriers and forwarders, and says the terminal supports regional economic activity and aligns with O’Hare’s long-term infrastructure plans through 2032. Future investment will focus on additional automation, electric-power support and modular storage to meet rising demand.
