Belgium’s busiest air cargo gateway, Liege Airport, has committed to building what it has described as “the next generation in cargo hubs”.
The airport is to invest €500m in what it calls CargoLand, and which is expected to be fully completed by 2040.
It will, said the airport operator, offer “unparalleled cargo infrastructure”, CargoLand redefining air cargo handling “on all levels – digital, equipment, scope, size, multimodal, and sustainable”.
It will promote Liege into the category of one Europe’s top three cargo airports, the operator stated.
Building on a position of strength
Liege markets itself as the only European airport to favour full cargo (#freightersfirst). It specialises in the transport of perishable goods, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, express parcels, e-commerce, medical and humanitarian equipment and live animals.
It offers 24/7 operations, a strong cargo community, a cargo-first attitude, experienced staff, advanced digital systems and speed, and as well as sustainable infrastructure, the airport operator said.
And CargoLand is expected to bring together and facilitate cooperation between all the air cargo stakeholders at the airport (airlines, handlers, forwarders, logistics service providers, public entities and the airport operator).
Frederic Brun, head of commercial cargo & logistics at Liege, said: “We have considered every detail within the supply chain to ensure that CargoLand delivers the ultimate in infrastructure and digital solutions to enable the smoothest and fastest cargo handling and turnaround times.
“We’re adding magic to cargo handling with CargoLand and are confident that it will deliver beyond expectations.
“After all, we are within a one-day truck drive to 75% of European GDP centres, and we will be strengthening our links to rail, road, and sea, maximising on our unique geographical qualities. Seamless multimodal integration will play a major role in CargoLand,” he informed.
CargoLand will involve 90 hectares of land set aside for logistics development. Some 24 hectares are being made available for office development.
A 38,000m² first line warehouse will be constructed to support long-term cargo growth, together with a 120,000m² e-commerce facility and 180,000m² landside warehouse to facilitate speedy distribution for last-mile deliveries and smooth second-line handling processes.
A total of 15 new parking stands are planned for ground support equipment (GSE), and a dedicated maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangar will speed up aircraft checks and servicing.
Torsten Wefers, vice president sales & marketing at the airport operator, declared: “CargoLand is THE place to be to have your cargo handled.
“That is the vision we have been working towards – that whenever people need to send freight to and from Europe, [Liege’s] fully sustainable CargoLand is the first place they think of.”
He continued: “From MRO to e-commerce, pharma and perishables, to express cargo, CargoLand offers commodity-specific, tailored cargo processes based on advanced technology, whether it is strong digital tracking of shipments or GSE, optimum route planning, or real-time cargo movement management.
“CargoLand will deliver a success and customer-oriented commercial approach that will leave a lasting imprint on the European logistics landscape,” Wefers concluded.
