Brussels Airport has carried out the first test shipments of human cell and blood material for precision treatment for cancer and rare diseases on passenger flights to Dallas as part of the Precision Therapy Logistics Gateway (PTLG) project. The project means that patients in future will not need to travel themselves, which significantly increases accessibility of treatment.
PTLG aims to analyse how precision therapies can be transported safely and quickly and Brussels and its project partners aim to become the first airport to develop an internationally recognised standard for the air transport of these treatments. It is also exploring options for setting up a specialised logistics centre at the airport.
PTLG is a cooperation between Brussels Airport, Pharma.Aero, Air Cargo Belgium and the Antwerp ATMP ecosystem, at.las.
Since November, 10 test shipments of cell and blood samples have been sent from Brussels Airport to BioLabs Pegasus Park, a biotech cluster in with another 50 scheduled.
Precision therapies, including cell, gene and radioligand therapies, are personalised treatments for individual patients. They are highly sensitive, and require fast, reliable transport under strictly controlled conditions, including temperature and lead time.
Brussels Airport has extensive expertise and facilities for the transport of time and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods, with 45,000sq m of temperature-controlled storage space.
Upon arrival at Brussels Airport, the test shipments go through customs control and are stored in a temperature-controlled zone while awaiting the flight. They are then transferred to the aircraft in refrigerated containers developed by the airport.
In Dallas, the material is transported to a laboratory at BioLabs Pegasus Park, where it undergoes a visual inspection before being returned to Belgium.
Sensors are used to monitor critical parameters such as lead times, temperature control and traceability and to identify potential risks and bottlenecks.
The results of the test project are expected in the first half of 2026. Based on these findings, the project partners, led by Air Cargo Belgium, will develop an internationally recognised standardised protocol for the logistics chain of precision therapies.
