Liège Airport moves 10,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical cargo to Chicago

Liège Airport has reached a milestone in its pharmaceutical logistics operations, having transported over 10,000 tonnes of medical cargo to Chicago O’Hare International Airport since the launch of a regular flight schedule in early 2026.

The growth is supported by expanded freighter services from Emirates SkyCargo, which includes three weekly rotations connecting Liège with Chicago and Dubai using Boeing 777 aircraft. The airport utilizes its specialized CargoLand infrastructure, which features over 55,000 square metres of refrigerated storage, to manage temperature-sensitive products such as insulin and vaccines.

According to airport officials, the increased volume is driven by the reliability of the service and efficient cold chain management, which includes standard exposure times of only 20 minutes from truck to fridge and 20 minutes from fridge to loading. The airport serves as a consolidation hub for pharmaceutical shipments originating from sites in France and Germany.

Liège Airport reported a significant rise in overall cargo volumes, reaching 219,807 tonnes in January and February 2026, an 18.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Notably, exports to North America increased by 86% during this period.