- CargoLand by LGG Unveils Upgraded Veterinary Center at Liège Airport
- Enhanced Infrastructure Boosts Live Animal Inspection and Quarantine Capabilities
- Dedicated Zones and Isolated Quarantine Area Ensure High Biosecurity Standards
- Facility Enables Parallel Processing of Regulated Animal Shipments
- 3,766 Equids Handled in 2025 as LGG Sees Growing Complexity in Live Animal Traffic
- Close Collaboration with AFSCA Strengthens Compliance and Oversight“The renovation of the Vet Center was driven by very concrete sanitary and operational realities,” says Frédéric Brun, Head of Commercial Cargo & Logistics at CargoLand by LGG. “We are handling increasing volumes and more complex live animal movements. This upgraded infrastructure enables us to strengthen veterinary control capacity and maintain the highest standards of animal health and welfare.”
Liège Airport (LGG) has inaugurated a newly renovated veterinary inspection and quarantine facility, reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s leading hubs for regulated live animal logistics.
The upgraded Vet Center, located within the airport’s expanding CargoLand development, serves as a critical control point for the sanitary inspection of live animals (AVI) transiting through LGG. The CargoLand masterplan, currently under phased development, is scheduled for completion by 2040 and aims to consolidate Liège’s role as a specialised cargo ecosystem.
Enhancing biosecurity and operational resilience
The renovated Vet Center has been designed to meet rising volumes and increasing regulatory complexity in cross-border live animal movements. Every animal entering or leaving Liège Airport is subject to strict veterinary controls, ensuring full compliance with European and international animal health and biosecurity regulations.
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The facility now features fully equipped inspection zones alongside a dedicated isolated quarantine area, enabling veterinarians to manage animals requiring observation, testing or additional checks without disrupting ongoing throughput. The layout allows parallel processing of multiple consignments, supporting operational continuity while maintaining stringent sanitary separation.
The Vet Center supports the veterinary services of the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA), which conducts detailed inspections covering health certification, documentation compliance and transport condition assessments.
In 2025 alone, the centre processed 3,766 equids, including horses, donkeys and zebras. It also handled a diversified range of live shipments such as ornamental fish, insects and small mammals, reflecting the growing complexity of regulated animal logistics flows moving through LGG.
Responding to market growth
Frédéric Brun, Head of Commercial Cargo & Logistics at Liège Airport, said the investment was driven by operational realities and long-term growth planning.
“The renovation of the Vet Center was driven by very concrete sanitary and operational requirements,” Brun said. “We are handling increasing volumes and more complex live animal movements. This upgraded infrastructure strengthens our veterinary control capacity and ensures we continue to uphold the highest standards of animal health, welfare and compliance.”
The Vet Center forms part of a broader live animal logistics ecosystem at Liège Airport. In addition to sanitary inspection facilities, LGG operates the Horse Inn, a dedicated equine handling centre capable of accommodating up to 12,000 horses annually under secure, climate-controlled conditions.
Together, these facilities position CargoLand by LGG as a specialised European platform for regulated, welfare-driven live animal transport, combining infrastructure investment with operational expertise and close coordination with national veterinary authorities.
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and demand for specialised live animal transport continues to grow, Liège Airport’s enhanced veterinary infrastructure underscores the increasing importance of compliance, traceability and biosecurity in modern air cargo operations.
