Liège Airport began 2026 by publishing figures that have caught the attention of every mobility manager in Belgium: the Walloon cargo specialist handled 1.324 million t of freight in 2025—up 14 % year-on-year and the second-best performance in its history. The jump is the payoff from a deliberate “Freighters First” policy that gives all-cargo operators priority slots, parking stands and night-time movements over passenger airlines. Fifty-six carriers now serve Liège, compared with just 40 two years ago, and newcomers from Mumbai, Chicago, Mexico City and Taipei have diversified the route map so that no single airline now accounts for more than 13 % of tonnage. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
Why does this matter for global mobility? Whenever snow, strikes or slot shortages paralyse Brussels Airport, multinationals increasingly reroute time-critical shipments—and sometimes accompanying personnel—through Liège. December alone saw volumes rise 16 % as e-commerce returns spiked after the holidays, underlining the airport’s role as a pressure-release valve for Belgian supply chains. Mobility teams coordinating expatriate household goods, on-board couriers or pharmaceutical cold-chain consignments now have a proven alternative hub less than 90 km from Brussels city centre. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
![Liège Airport’s 14 % cargo surge cements its role as Belgium’s back-up mobility hub]()
To simplify the paperwork behind these last-minute diversions, VisaHQ’s dedicated Belgium page (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets companies organise everything from express Schengen visas for courier crews to full single-permit applications for long-term assignees in a single dashboard, syncing seamlessly with HR mobility systems so that entry clearance is never the bottleneck.
The growth does not come without caveats. Night-flight quotas have already reduced the share of nocturnal operations from 59 % in 2020 to 34.5 % in 2025 in response to community-noise concerns, and airport management warns that a new EU tax on low-value e-commerce parcels (due 1 July 2026) could dampen demand. HR and relocation teams should therefore factor possible cost increases and slot-allocation changes into 2026 budgeting. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
For assignees and travelling executives, the practical takeaway is simple: double-check that accompanying staff have the right entry documents before routing via Liège. Unlike Brussels, the airport has fewer on-site immigration desks, and third-country nationals may face ad-hoc Schengen inspections, particularly during night arrivals. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal, which integrates with Belgium’s national social-security database, allows employers to file Single-Permit applications and arrange short-stay visas in parallel with freight bookings, reducing administrative friction. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
Why does this matter for global mobility? Whenever snow, strikes or slot shortages paralyse Brussels Airport, multinationals increasingly reroute time-critical shipments—and sometimes accompanying personnel—through Liège. December alone saw volumes rise 16 % as e-commerce returns spiked after the holidays, underlining the airport’s role as a pressure-release valve for Belgian supply chains. Mobility teams coordinating expatriate household goods, on-board couriers or pharmaceutical cold-chain consignments now have a proven alternative hub less than 90 km from Brussels city centre. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
To simplify the paperwork behind these last-minute diversions, VisaHQ’s dedicated Belgium page (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets companies organise everything from express Schengen visas for courier crews to full single-permit applications for long-term assignees in a single dashboard, syncing seamlessly with HR mobility systems so that entry clearance is never the bottleneck.
The growth does not come without caveats. Night-flight quotas have already reduced the share of nocturnal operations from 59 % in 2020 to 34.5 % in 2025 in response to community-noise concerns, and airport management warns that a new EU tax on low-value e-commerce parcels (due 1 July 2026) could dampen demand. HR and relocation teams should therefore factor possible cost increases and slot-allocation changes into 2026 budgeting. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
For assignees and travelling executives, the practical takeaway is simple: double-check that accompanying staff have the right entry documents before routing via Liège. Unlike Brussels, the airport has fewer on-site immigration desks, and third-country nationals may face ad-hoc Schengen inspections, particularly during night arrivals. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal, which integrates with Belgium’s national social-security database, allows employers to file Single-Permit applications and arrange short-stay visas in parallel with freight bookings, reducing administrative friction. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/be/lige-airports-14-cargo-surge-cements-its-role-as-belgiums-back-up-mobility-hub/))
