By Maria Kalamatas | Liège, August 6, 2025
Swissport has just opened a cold cargo center at Liège Airport, aimed at handling fragile, fast-moving goods like fruit, flowers, seafood, and medicine.
The new space is fitted with cold rooms, refrigerated storage, and fast-lane loading areas. According to the company, the goal is simple: speed and freshness.
“If it can spoil, we can store it—fast and safe,” said a ground supervisor at the facility this morning.
This is Swissport’s first perishable-dedicated hub in central Europe. The location wasn’t picked at random. Liège is already known for cargo flexibility and 24/7 operations. The airport handles hundreds of freighter flights each month, many from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
“There are more strawberries and vaccines moving through here than people think,” a customs officer told us.
Designed for urgency
Swissport says the facility is ready to handle several hundred tons daily, depending on cargo type. The building includes sorting lines, inspection bays, and temperature monitoring that runs around the clock.
Why now? Heatwaves across Europe and longer delivery windows have raised concerns. Importers and distributors have been calling for more cold chain infrastructure close to entry points.
“Sometimes you lose an entire load just waiting to clear customs,” said Fatima El Aoufi, a Brussels-based seafood importer. “This kind of setup helps avoid that.”
Swissport plans to add similar hubs elsewhere if this one proves successful.
