CARGOLAND by LGG’s first-ever Gala Dinner brought its cargo community together to reveal the airport’s record results and honour outstanding contributors. The evening was a celebration of excellence, a confirmation of success, and a recognition of the community spirit shaping the airport’s future.
Held at the prestigious Van Der Valk Sélys Liège Hotel, Cargoland’s first Gala Dinner feted the dedication and spirit of cooperation demonstrated by its extensive cargo community.
150 representatives from 60 companies attended the exclusive event that offered a choice of informal networking guided tours of the old town or wine, beer, and whisky producers in the afternoon, followed by an awards ceremony and dinner at the hotel, and additional networking opportunities.
“The aim of the Gala Dinner is to strengthen Liège Airport’s cargo community by bringing together key stakeholders in a setting that fosters trust, connection, and collaboration beyond daily operations.
It reinforces a shared sense of belonging, highlights collective achievements, and supports the airport’s positioning as a unified and forward-looking cargo hub,” Frederic Brun, Vice President Sales and Marketing, explained.
Among the achievements announced that evening were Liège Airport’s back-to-back annual growth of 16% and 14%, followed by a further 16% increase in the first quarter of 2026 – its strongest opening quarter on record.
Laurent Jossart, Chief Executive Officer of Liège Airport, emphasised that those record results were very clearly due to the airport’s strong ecosystem: “We have airline workers, handlers, e-commerce leaders and partners from across the cargo ecosystem.
“We have the momentum that we have built together in 2024 and 2025, and we did it again within the first few months of 2026. As CEO, I could stand here and pretend the reason of this nice achievement is because we are brilliant.
“It would be a classic executive move, but it would not be true. It comes from the ecosystem, partnerships, trust in the airport and trust in your own ability to grow. These good results are also from the institutions and people making the right decisions, solving problems quickly and under pressure.”
Individual achievements regarding performance in air cargo and logistics were also awarded during the event.
A jury of four had reviewed company entries in the run-up to the Gala Dinner. Winning companies demonstrating particular reliability, flexibility and resilience in today’s fast-moving and highly competitive industry, included:
- Newcomer on Cargoland Award: Atlas Air
- Forwarding Champion Award: Kuehne+Nagel
- Vertical Excellence Award: Network Aviation Group
- Cargo Wings Award: Ethiopian Airlines
- Ground Master Award: Swissport
Frederic Brun, Vice President Sales and Marketing, said: “Congratulations to everyone for your contribution to making Cargoland a true cargo powerhouse.
“It is thanks to our shared mindset, our collective cooperation and partnership, and our dedication as a cargo community that Liège Airport enjoys the standing that it has, today.
“We aim to celebrate our joint achievements at similar Gala events, going forward. A chance to network, discuss, and – above all – a token of thanks to all of you, for your hard work and the trust you and your company place in Cargoland.
“And special thanks to Swissport as the main sponsor for this event and the first to come on board of our community vision.”