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As e-commerce continues to reshape global trade, expectations around delivery have never been higher. For logistics providers, the pressure is clear: move faster, handle greater volumes, and maintain reliability across borders.
At Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, this shift drives a fundamental rethink of how e-commerce logistics works, especially the air freight forwarding process that underpins cross-border shipments.
For Bert, who leads the development of e-commerce and freight forwarder services, the opportunity lies in bringing these elements together into a more integrated model.
Bert Selis, VP Business Development, E-Commerce, Express, and Freight Forwarding EMEAA
Based in Liège, Bert brings close to 20 years of experience in business development and sales in the air cargo and aviation industry.
Prior to joining WFS, Bert spent almost a decade at Liège Airport, one of Europe’s largest air cargo hubs, where he led cargo growth and worked with global logistics players to expand the airport’s role in international freight.
Now, he leads the development of e-commerce logistics and freight forwarding services across EMEAA.
“At its core, my role is to help each country set up and operate e-commerce and freight forwarding services,” he explains. “That means understanding what customers need, positioning the service, and building it step by step.”
"The challenge is balancing consistency with local flexibility, and the key is developing something that works across markets," Bert adds.
E-commerce logistics relies heavily on international freight forwarding to move goods quickly across borders.
A typical air freight forwarding process looks like this:
WFS, a SATS company, operates at a critical point in the above supply chain process: the airport.
As a leading cargo handler across Europe, WFS manages airside cargo operations – handling shipments directly at the aircraft.
“Cargo handling is our core business. We manage the aircraft and the cargo itself,” Bert explains. “What we’re building on top of that are integrated and specialised services for freight forwarders and e-commerce players.”
This positions WFS at the intersection of air freight handling, freight forwarding, and e-commerce logistics.
Integrated handling is what connects these three parts (air freight handling, freight forwarding, e-commerce logistics) of the supply chain.
Traditionally, cargo is handled at the airport, transferred elsewhere for processing, and moved again for delivery. Integrated handling removes these breaks.
Because WFS already manages cargo at the aircraft, processing can begin immediately at the point of arrival – without moving shipments offsite. Hence, fewer handovers are needed, and delivery timelines improve.
“If shipments are taken elsewhere to be processed, you add waiting time, trucking, and extra handling,” Bert explains. “We can eliminate that.”
This is especially important in e-commerce logistics, where speed defines competitiveness.
“E-commerce platforms choose their logistics providers based on speed. Every hour we can reduce in delivery time makes a difference,” he adds.
Currently, deliveries from Asia into Europe typically take between four and seven days. By integrating handling services at the airport, WFS teams can reduce delivery time by half a day to one full day.
An integrated operating model is especially critical for international freight forwarding across Europe.
Within Europe’s complex logistics landscape, cargo does not always enter its final destination country directly.
“Today, volumes may be routed through different countries, depending on regulatory requirements,” Bert explains.
For instance, shipments can be diverted away from a particular country due to changes in customs policies or other regulatory constraints. By leveraging its integrated handling capabilities and extensive network of 225 locations, WFS is able to maintain consistent delivery timelines despite these routing adjustments.
In such cases, shipments are processed at another WFS station in a neighbouring country, before being transported overland to their final destination.
This flexibility underscores the value of a strong, reliable network in managing international supply chains.
Today, the SATS Group is actively scaling these integrated and specialised services across Europe.
As more stations adopt integrated handling, WFS strengthens its ability to support customers across multiple entry points across the region, giving freight forwarders and e-commerce players greater flexibility in how they manage cargo flows.
While these services directly benefit freight forwarders and e-commerce players, their impact extends across the broader air cargo ecosystem.
“The importance of e-commerce goes beyond just that business alone,” Bert says. “It also influences the behaviour of our airline customers.”
In this environment, the roles of cargo handlers, freight forwarders, and e-commerce players are becoming increasingly interconnected.
By integrating airside cargo handling with freight forwarding support and e-commerce logistics, WFS creates a more seamless air cargo journey – linking aircraft operations directly to downstream distribution.
This end-to-end perspective allows the SATS Group to play a more strategic role in global logistics, supporting not just individual shipments, but the efficiency and resilience of the entire air freight ecosystem.
Q: What is a freight forwarder?
A freight forwarder is a company that organises and manages the movement of goods, coordinating transportation, handling, and delivery across various stages of the supply chain.
Q: How is freight forwarding different from cargo handling?
Cargo handling focuses on physically managing goods at airports or terminals, while freight forwarding involves coordinating the broader logistics journey, including transport and distribution.
Q: How do freight forwarders process e-commerce shipments?
Freight forwarders coordinate the movement, handling, and delivery of e-commerce shipments across air and ground networks, but they rely on airport cargo handlers like WFS, a SATS company, to process air freight at the the airports.
