Swissport, the global leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, is advancing its strategy to provide tailored infrastructure for specialised cargo segments, including perishables and eCommerce, with the launch of a dedicated perishable handling centre at Liège Airport. Located airside, the purpose-built facility is designed exclusively for the seamless 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—it ensures seamless cool chain protection and significantly reduces processing time for critical shipments.
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 square meters. It follows recent capability upgrades at major cargo hubs across Europe, including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, reinforcing Swissport’s commitment to supporting specialised cargo growth across the region.
“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.”
Boosting cool chain speed and reliability
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 company is now one of the few ground handlers globally to offer specialised temperature-controlled capabilities at both ends of the supply chain, delivering end-to-end protection for time- and temperature-sensitive shipments.
The facility’s strategic 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.
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.
“With this investment, we’re strengthening Liège’s role in our global cool chain network,” said Dirk Goovaerts, Global Cargo Chair and CEO 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 comprehensive suite of services covering general and special cargo handling, temperature-controlled handling, hub handling, express services, forwarder handling, and specialised perishable handling. In 2024, a dedicated team of 300 Swissport professionals successfully handled 400,000 tons of air cargo and serviced over 3,850 freighters at Liège, highlighting the company’s growing scale and relevance at this strategic hub.
