Liège Airport handled 1,032,283 tonnes of air cargo in the first nine months of 2026, up 7.3% from the same period last year and above the one-million-tonne mark by the end of September. Growth in exports and other freight segments offset a sharp decline in low-value e-commerce parcels after a €3 charge was introduced for imported shipments valued below €150.
Third-quarter cargo volume was broadly unchanged at 334,467 tonnes, compared with 334,950 tonnes a year earlier. Aircraft movements fell 6% to 6,826, from 7,261 in the third quarter of 2025, as fewer flights served the small-parcel segment.
The airport linked the reduction to the charge introduced on 1 July. Volumes of small parcels have fallen 42% since then, affecting e-commerce traffic and reducing associated flight demand. Despite the quarterly slowdown, total aircraft movements for the first nine months remained stable at 21,180, compared with 21,153 a year earlier.
Exports provided a significant counterbalance, rising 18.5% to 453,265 tonnes during the January-September period. The figures show a divergence between freight tonnage and flight activity, with higher-volume cargo sustaining throughput while lower-value parcel traffic contracts.