Swissport has expanded its specialised cargo capabilities at Liège Airport with the opening of a dedicated perishable handling centre, the only facility of its kind at the airport.
Fully operational from 1 August, the temperature-controlled airside facility is designed exclusively for the throughput of Unit Load Devices (ULDs) carrying temperature-sensitive goods.
With precise climate control between 2°C and 8°C and capacity for 40 ULDs—the equivalent of a full freighter load.
The facility’s airside location enables direct aircraft-to-cold-storage transfer, eliminating intermediate steps that could compromise product integrity. This setup minimises the risk of temperature excursions, maintains product freshness, and accelerates delivery times for both imports and exports, said Swissport.
Import flows in particular will benefit, as the centre offers secure cold storage for goods in transit, ready for final delivery by truck across Europe, with a strong focus on the Dutch flower market.
This new cool facility complements Swissport’s third cargo terminal at Liège, inaugurated in April 2024, which expanded the company’s total footprint at the airport to 27,000 sq m.
Swissport continues to invest in cold chain infrastructure across its global network, with Liège now playing a key role in connecting origin and destination points in its expanding cool chain corridor.
The opening of the new perishables facility follows recent capability upgrades at major cargo hubs across Europe, including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.
“This specialised perishable centre demonstrates our commitment to tailored cargo solutions that meet the evolving needs of global logistics,” said Wilfried Jans, managing director of Swissport Belgium.
“It positions us as a key partner for temperature-sensitive products, particularly high-value perishables like cut flowers moving through our growing global network.”
“With this investment, we’re strengthening Liège’s role in our global cool chain network,” said Dirk Goovaerts, global cargo chair and chief executive of Swissport’s CEMEAI region.
“By extending our pharma-handling expertise to perishable flows, Swissport now provides the entire Liège community access to a temperature-controlled flower corridor between Nairobi and Amsterdam. It also complements our growing role in eCommerce logistics, where Liège continues to attract top global players.“
Swissport has been serving cargo airlines at Liège Airport since 2001 and offers a range of services covering general and special cargo handling, temperature-controlled handling, hub handling, express services, forwarder handling, and specialised perishable handling.
In 2024, a team of 300 Swissport professionals successfully handled 400,000 tons of air cargo and serviced over 3,850 freighters at Liège.