Nippon Express Belgium has launched a new service using Liege Airport and Ostend-Bruges International Airport to bolster import and export gateway functions in Europe. Nippon Express is the first Japanese forwarder to set up operations in the Liege area, and it has opened an office in the airport cargo zone to provide CFS functions. On April 16, 2021, the company launched a round-trip charter transport service between Liege and Narita airports for air cargo import and export operations.
Liege Airport in eastern Belgium serves as one of Europe’s dedicated cargo airports and currently offers regular and charter flights to and from China, North America, the Middle East and Africa. It has no airline slot restrictions on departures and arrivals and is geographically close to the German, Dutch and French borders. The airport has seen its handling volume expand in recent years to put it nearly on par with Europe’s major gateway airports (Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, and London). There is a freight railway station situated near the airport with connections to China-Europe railways as well as an intermodal (barge, road and rail) container terminal yard.
On May 8, 2021, Nippon Express introduced a round-trip charter service between Ostend-Bruges International Airport in western Belgium and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Nippon Express Belgium has also signed a weekly charter agreement with Qatar Airways Cargo to utilise their B777-300 ER mini freighter for round trip cargo services.
All incidental services from departure to arrival are carried out by Nippon Express, which also provides collection/delivery in surrounding areas.
Taking advantage of Belgium’s location, close to many European logistics hubs, cargo from not only Belgium but from neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands and France as well can be loaded at this gateway. Nippon Express state it aims to be able to reliably provide cargo space to customers despite the shortages of cargo space brought about by the pandemic.
Source: Nippon Express
