Swissport Adds Third Air Cargo Center at Liège
With the addition of a third, brand-new air cargo terminal at the airport of Liège in Belgium, Swissport has expanded its total surface space to 27,000 sq. m., making it the largest air cargo handler at the logistics hub.
Located in a second line just behind its existing two air cargo centers, the terminal expansion enables Swissport to offer a wide range of handling services at unparalleled capacity. In a step aligned with Swissport’s global cargo strategy, the product portfolio now includes forwarder handling, eCommerce processing and sorting, import trucking and specialized build-up/break-down operations for brokers, airlines, and others.
The new, customs bonded facility, which opened on April 22, adds 4,000 sq. m. to Swissport’s capacity of now 27,000 sq. m.
"The opening of our third terminal here at Liège Airport is an important milestone for us," says Wilfried Jans, director of Swissport's cargo division at Liège Airport. "The additional capacity relieves our first-line air cargo warehouses, enhances our operational efficiency and provides flexibility to respond do short notice customer needs. The expansion also enables us to offer customized handling solutions, catering to the specific needs of forwarders and e-commerce providers, activities that do not necessitate first-line services. We are now even better prepared to meet and exceed the demands of our existing customers and to forge new partnerships."
“Liège Airport has established itself as a key player in the air cargo landscape, with a remarkable 13 percent increase in cargo volumes year-on-year,” adds Dirk Goovaerts, global cargo chair and CEO of Swissport’s CEMEAI region. “Recognizing the growing demand in eCommerce, particularly driven by air cargo movements out of Asia, Swissport has secured contracts with leading eCommerce players to handle cargo at its Liège facility. This strategic focus reflects the role of Liège as the ideal cargo hub for eCommerce logistics in central Europe, capitalizing on the airport's prime location and existing flight connections to India and China.”
Swissport has been serving cargo airlines at Liège Airport since 2001 and offers a comprehensive suite of services for over eight airlines, covering general and special cargo handling, temperature-controlled handling, hub handling, express services, and forwarder handling. In 2023, a dedicated team of 300 Swissport professionals successfully handled an impressive 360,000 tons of air cargo and serviced over 3,750 freighters, significantly contributing to the robust performance of Swissport’s air cargo operations globally.
