Swissport International said it continues to grow at Liège Airport, Belgium, adding a third air cargo centre at one of Europe's major gateways for international air cargo.

It said that the extension is driven by additional capacity for e-commerce and forwarder handling, expanding the overall capacity by 17% to 27.000 square meters.

Swissport said with the addition of a third, brand-new air cargo terminal at the airport of Liège in Belgium, it expands its total surface space to 27,000 sqm, making it the largest air cargo handler at the logistics hub.

3rd air cargo centre in Liège

Located in a second line just behind its existing two air cargo centres, the terminal expansion enables Swissport to offer a wide range of handling services at unparalleled capacity.

Swissport noted that this is aligned with its global cargo strategy. The product portfolio now includes forwarder handling, e-commerce 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 sqm to Swissport's capacity of now 27,000 sqm.

"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," he added.

Dirk Goovaerts, global cargo chair and CEO of Swissport's CEMEAI region noted that Liège Airport had established itself as a key player in the air cargo landscape, with a remarkable 13% increase in cargo volumes year-on-year.

"Recognizing the growing demand in e-commerce, 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," Goovaerts added.

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.