Liège Airport (LGG) takes its inspiration and ambitions from the Olympic Games. Just being part of the show is not enough; the aspiration is to stand on the podium. The Belgian airport, which focuses entirely on the cargo business, achieved this in the past financial year by becoming the fifth largest European airport in cargo handling. Among its many fathers, this success has one specific name: Torsten Wefers (TW). And he has his eyes on the bronze medal.
Wefers has been managing the air freight business at the Walloon airport for four years. Since then, volumes have been growing steadily and the number of airlines serving the airport has continued to increase. LGG is now number three in air freight throughput in Europe, with 1,324,579 tons handled in 2025 (+14% year-over-year). Just a few days ago, the airport gained another customer in the Chinese cargo airline, Suparna Airlines, which operates the Chongqing–Liège route with a B777F. CargoForwarder Global (CFG) spoke to the manager about the recipe for success at the airport in eastern Belgium.
CFG: Anyone working in the French-speaking part of Belgium should be able to speak French. How would you rate your knowledge of the language?
TW: I would say my French is in progress, but at a rather low level. I can get by reasonably well with my French in everyday life. But since the lingua franca of the air freight industry is English, I don’t need French very much for work. Incidentally, Belgium has three official languages: French, Flemish, and German.
CFG: In a nutshell, what is the secret to LGG’s success?
TW: It is based on several pillars: the demand-driven expansion of ground infrastructure, i.e.: a forward-looking ex ante rather than ex post strategy; the growing partnership with freight forwarders, which has greatly stimulated import and export volumes and has been and continues to be a magnet for cargo airlines; and our verticals strategy, especially for perishables, pharmaceuticals, and flowers. However, there are also other criteria that make the overall LGG package attractive for the industry. For example, we have worked closely with local authorities such as customs, to speed up shipment flows between the first and second lines of warehouses on-airport. We operate internationally under the brand name, Cargoland, which highlights our focus on air freight, our ambition to create a state-of-the-art cargo hub, and makes us better known. Finally, our handling agents have invested in temperature-controlled storage facilities and capacities, which increases the airport’s overall attractiveness.
CFG: Liège is open 24/7/365, so unlike Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Luxembourg, air traffic is not limited by a night flight ban. Has the airport benefited from the slot discussion in Amsterdam?
TW: First, let’s talk about night flights. We received our new operating and environment permit in 2024, which is valid until 2040, so this issue is settled for the next decade and a half. That said, we are increasingly focusing on the development of daytime traffic. As for Amsterdam, I don’t comment on competitors, but I will say this much: the controversial discussion about slot limitations at Schiphol has had a positive impact on our business.
CFG: e-commerce has been a key driver of growth in imports to date. Now, from 01JUL26, the EU wants to impose a duty of EUR 3 per item on Alibaba, Temu, Taobao, and Amazon e-commerce shipments valued below EUR 150, that do not originate in the EU. What impact do you expect these tariffs to have on your airport’s business?
TW: It will have an impact, no question about it. This statement is in line with the predictions echoed by major trade associations. On the other hand, this is a tax that will be levied across the EU, so all airports from A to Z will be affected. The example of the Trump administration’s de minimis rule, which eliminated the USD 800 de minimis threshold for commercial shipments across all countries, shows that after a short-term decline in volumes, they quickly rise again. In any case, it is too early to discuss concrete impact scenarios, especially since the details of the planned regulation have not yet been communicated.
CFG: What are your primary goals for 2026?
TW: There are three main goals: We want to significantly increase our export volumes; the 11% growth in 2025 – the highest at any major European cargo hub – was already an important step. Our strategic partnerships with the global forwarder powerhouses will certainly help us achieve this. This also applies – as our second priority – to the acquisition of additional network carriers so that we can offer hub-to-hub transport. Last but not least, we will intensify our verticals strategy, with a very strong focus on pharma.
CFG: Are you thinking of Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo?
TW: There are various options, but I don’t want to comment on that in detail. But I assume it will not be Lufthansa Cargo, although – as a German – I would like to see the ‘Kranich’ landing in LGG.
CFG: You are now number five in Europe in terms of cargo volumes. When will you be number three, i.e. win the bronze medal?TW: This is a clearly defined goal for us, and we are doing our best to achieve that. But the competition never sleeps, so it will be more of a long race, I believe.
