Iberia to up volume with new US$140 million Madrid cargo terminal

SPANISH airline Iberia plans to develop a new EUR100 million (US$139.67 million) air freight terminal in Madrid, after signing an agreement to build the new cargo facility with the nation's airport and traffic control authority, Aena.


The airline, which merged last year with British Airways, will invest EUR60 million and Aena the remainder in the facility that is expected to transform Madrid-Barajas airport into Europe's largest hub for air cargo to and from Latin America, reports Skyport Heathrow.


"The 39,000-square-metre terminal will stand on a 92,000 square metre site between runways 15 and 33 and near the apron of the T4 satellite building that is used for most Latin American flights," said an airline spokesman.


He said the new air cargo terminal that is expected to open in 2015 will shorten aircraft loading and unloading times, while "boosting the efficiency and quality of Iberia's air cargo handling services at the airport."


Last year, the existing Madrid-Barajas air freight terminal handled more than 373,000 tonnes of cargo, an increase of 23.3 per cent compared to the previous year, with Iberia handling 47 per cent of the total volume of air freight.


The new terminal is anticipated by 2030 to triple the 175,000 tonnes of freight handled by the carrier to 650,000 tonnes.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)