Swissport has expanded its specialised cargo services at Liège Airport with the launch of a dedicated perishable handling centre, the only facility of its kind at the airport. The new temperature-controlled airside installation, which became fully operational on 1 August 2025, marks a major milestone in Swissport’s efforts to reinforce its cool chain network across Europe.
Strategically located airside, the purpose-built facility is tailored for the direct handling of unit load devices (ULDs) carrying temperature-sensitive cargo. The facility features precise climate control between 2°C and 8°C and can accommodate up to 40 ULDs — equivalent to the load capacity of a full freighter. This ensures fast processing and continuous cold chain protection from aircraft to storage, significantly reducing risk for high-value perishable shipments.
The opening of this centre strengthens Swissport’s growing “flower corridor”, supporting time-sensitive shipments such as cut flowers between Nairobi and Amsterdam, while positioning Liège as a key European cold chain logistics hub.
Wilfried Jans, Managing Director of Swissport Belgium, stated:
“This specialised perishable centre demonstrates our commitment to tailored cargo solutions that meet the evolving needs of global logistics. It positions us as a key partner for temperature-sensitive products, particularly high-value perishables like cut flowers moving through our growing global network.”
This latest investment complements Swissport’s third cargo terminal at Liège, opened in April 2024, bringing the company’s total cargo footprint at the airport to 27,000 square metres. It follows a series of capability upgrades at other major airports, including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.
Dirk Goovaerts, Global Cargo Chair and CEO of Swissport’s CEMEAI region, added:
“With this investment, we’re strengthening Liège’s role in our global cool chain network.
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.”
The airside location of the facility enables direct aircraft-to-cold-storage transfers, eliminating potential temperature fluctuations and streamlining the delivery process. This setup benefits both imports and exports, particularly perishable goods in transit to final destinations across Europe — with a focus on serving the Dutch flower market.
Swissport’s cold chain infrastructure investments make it one of the few ground handlers globally with end-to-end temperature-controlled capabilities, ensuring full product integrity across the supply chain.
Swissport has operated at Liège Airport since 2001, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services, including general and special cargo handling, pharma and perishable logistics, hub handling, forwarder services, and express cargo solutions. In 2024, its 300-strong team handled 400,000 tonnes of cargo and supported more than 3,850 freighter flights, cementing its role as a key logistics partner at this fast-growing European hub.