Liège airport freight volume rises despite slump in small parcel traffic

Cargo traffic at Liège airport reached 1,032,283 tonnes in the first nine months of 2026, up 7.3 percent from 961,640 tonnes a year earlier, according to figures the Belgian airport released. The total passed one million tonnes before the end of September.

Growth stalled in the third quarter. Freight came in at 334,467 tonnes, roughly level with the 334,950 tonnes handled in the same period of 2025. Flight movements fell six percent over the quarter, from 7,261 to 6,826.

The airport attributes the drop in movements mainly to a three euro levy on imported packages valued under 150 euros, introduced on 1 July 2026. Since then, small parcel shipments have declined 42 percent. E-commerce traffic has been hit hardest, the airport says, leading to fewer cargo flights in that segment.

Over the full nine months, movements held steady at 21,180, against 21,153 a year earlier. Growth in other cargo segments has so far offset the effect of the parcel levy, according to the operator.