Scheduled pharmaceutical cargo traffic between the CargoLand by LGG facility in Liege, Belgium and Chicago O’Hare International Airport has reached over 10,000 tonnes since the launch of a fixed, regular schedule in early 2026 says vice president sales and marketing, Frederic Brun.
The traffic consists of shipments won from other airports, rather than new business, he said, adding that all of the three weekly Liege–Chicago–Dubai rotations are full.
Service Level Agreements in place for pharma customers stipulate exposure times of just 20 minutes from truck to fridge and 20 minutes from fridge to loading as standard.
Products driving growth include insulin, vaccines and other medicines, each with specific handling and temperature requirements.
Brun said: “We have refined our pharmaceutical handling operations around our existing capabilities and expertise. Reducing exposure time reduces risk, while keeping handling straightforward and limiting the number of parties involved makes the process easier to manage. Expertise developed over several years is now becoming standard practice at LGG.”
CargoLand has also seen many relief flights as well as launches of new product in countries like in Brazil.
Brun continued: “We saw an enormous growth on pharma vertical that follows the strategy of diversification. It is now paying off for us with an increase of more than 120 percent of pharma goods via LGG.
“CargoLand by LGG’s pharmaceutical growth plans reflect strong global demand. The airport aims to develop its freighter network around customer needs, connecting production centres with markets requiring reliable access to essential medicines.
“Existing African connections, established through flower imports, offer opportunities for pharmaceutical exports on return flights. Greater use of this capacity could support growth while improving access to medicines across Africa.
“Future network development will consider new destinations and origins, including India. CargoLand by LGG also sees opportunities to serve more challenging markets, aligning available freighter capacity with pharmaceutical demand around the world.
“All cargo handlers at LGG hold CEIV Pharma certification, providing a foundation for further development.”
