Worldwide Flight Services is reducing average truck waiting and processing times at its cargo terminal in Milan Malpensa through a locally developed SMS-based warehouse door assignment system, highlighting how targeted operational innovation can deliver measurable gains in a high-volume cargo environment.
WFS handles around 28,000 trucks a year at its facility in Milan Malpensa, which is Italy’s largest airfreight gateway and accounts for approximately 65% of the country’s annual air cargo volumes.
The improvement is the result of a broader redesign of the warehouse frontage and related investment, including the addition of truck parking bays. The new SMS-based solution is designed to streamline loading and unloading by sending drivers clear and timely instructions assigning them to the correct warehouse door.
According to recent performance analysis, the impact has been significant. The average time required to serve a truck at the Milan cargo facility has fallen to 48 minutes, while only 10% of total operations now exceed the airport’s KPI threshold, and those cases occur during peak periods. The data also shows that 45% of all truck visits are now completed within 30 minutes, rising to 75% within one hour.
WFS said it is also continuing to promote its CargoKiosk technology to further simplify and digitalise truck and driver processing. Together with the enhanced SMS solution, the system is helping speed up documentation procedures, saving valuable time for drivers and improving vehicle productivity for freight and logistics operators.
Luigi Pellino, operations director, said continuous performance monitoring through daily reporting remains a key priority for WFS, helping ensure ongoing service improvement and greater operational transparency.
He said the truck handling innovation creates an opportunity to increase throughput, strengthen customer satisfaction and deliver more consistent, timely service, ultimately unlocking higher levels of efficiency and value. He also encouraged customers to actively use the digital tools provided by WFS and the airport in order to simplify acceptance and delivery processes.
In early 2026, WFS MXP also introduced a Dock Coordination Position and said it would continue investing in the area to support a reorganisation of vehicle flow and the development of a dedicated acceptance office at dock level, in coordination with SEA, the airport authority.
WFS currently handles all cargo types at the facility for 11 online and five offline airline customers.
