Liege Airport says 2023 mixed year with freight decline but passenger traffic increased

Liege, Belgium: Liege Airport described 2023 as a mixed year characterized by a decline in cargo volumes and an increase in passenger traffic.

The airport which is among the top cargo hubs in Europe handled over 1 million metric tons of cargo transiting through its facilities. Additionally, it welcomed 175,606 passengers, up by 5.2% compared to 2022.

Liege Airport said the years 2020 and 2021 had been exceptional, with growth of 50% following the COVID-19 pandemic. It saw an explosion of e-commerce traffic despite the cessation of passenger flights (50% of air cargo is carried “belly” in passenger aircraft), while the normalization of the market had
begun in 2022 and continued through 2023.

In 2023, the airport recorded 33,548 aircraft movements, including 23,917 cargo movements (down 14% vs 27,840 in 2022).

“FedEx’s restructuring came into full effect in 2023 on top of a difficult international economic context (The war in Ukraine; downturn in the Chinese market; less consumer spending in Europe). All European cargo airports are experiencing a backlash. Even if the reference year is already a long way off, it’s worth noting that we are gaining 11.5% in tonnage in 2023 compared with 2019 (pre-COVID year), while having digested the FedEx restructuring (from April 2022) and the departure of AirBridge Cargo following the outbreak of war in Ukraine (from February 2022). This sets us apart from most European airports, which are behind on their 2019 cargo figures,” explains Laurent Jossart, CEO of Liege Airport.

But Jossart is optimistic about the airport’s future, saying, “With the new operating license, our Board of Directors has adopted our ambitious Master Plan and Business Plan “Vision 2040”. More than EUR 500
million will be invested over the next 20 years, to become a multimodal hub, exemplary in environmental terms, and a creator of jobs for our region.”