Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s cargo arm, has added fast-booming Liege to its freighter network.
This is the airline’s first new freighter destination of 2026, with “significant” expansion planned over the next 12 months. It is also welcome news for Liege, both the airport, which as grown dramatically in recent years, plus the local economy.
Perfectly located at the heart of the Amsterdam-Paris-Frankfurt production ‘golden triangle’, and with excellent road connectivity, Liege Airport is one of the world’s fastest-growing cargo hubs, recording a 14% rise in cargo volumes in 2025.
In recent years, Emirates SkyCargo has served Liege Airport with adhoc freighters, shipping specialised products such as fresh-cut flowers and e-Commerce packages, as well as dedicated charters for horses travelling to global competitions.
Following rising demand, the airline will now deploy five weekly freighters, boosting available cargo capacity by 500 tonnes each week.
Of the five weekly freighters, three will connect Liege with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai to transport critical, temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals via a seamless and effective cool chain.
The other two freighters will originate in Hong Kong and carry e-Commerce shipments to and through Liege.
Khawla Abdulla, Vice President of Cargo Commercial for Europe, Emirates SkyCargo said, “Adding Liege as a fixture to our freighter network is a strategic step that enhances our European footprint and unlocks more connectivity for our global customers.
“In 2025, we moved more than 15,000 tonnes of cargo from Belgium, across freighters and belly hold capacity on our double daily passenger flights to Brussels, and we anticipate significant growth with the deployment of five weekly freighters. Liege Airport’s freighter-first operations, worldclass infrastructure and well-connected logistics ecosystem enables us to better serve Belgium and its neighbouring countries and deliver consistently high service levels for our customers.”
Torsten Wefers, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Liege Airport, added, “We are honoured that Emirates SkyCargo has added Liege Airport to its global freighter network.
“The new scheduled services are linking Liege with other major global airports incl. the Emirates Sky Cargo Dubai-hub. This development clearly shows the increasing importance of Liege Airport for the European air cargo industry and is further strengthening our position as biggest European freighter hub, with a strong focus on the verticals pharma, fresh, live animal and express.
“We are looking forward to a close and lasting cooperation with Emirates Sky Cargo and providing a full flexible home for its Boeing 777Fs.”
An Emirates spokesman told this site that Europe remains one of the most important and busiest regions for Emirates SkyCargo, served by 38 freighters and 538 passenger flights every week. The airline continues to expand coverage, with the recent announcement of passenger operations to Helsinki, Finland due to start in October 2026. With the delivery of up to 10 new Boeing 777Fs by December 2026, as well as the ongoing delivery of its passenger aircraft, Emirates SkyCargo is set to grow its network and serve more destinations.
- Photo credit: Emirates
