Room at the inn: Liège Airport specialises in equine air travel

More than 3,000 high-bred horses transit through Liège Airport by road or by air each year. Since 2016, the airport’s purpose-built facility has been providing overnight accommodation for this special group of travellers and has gained a reputation worldwide for caring for equines on the move.

The all-in equestrian hotel offers administrative formalities, reception and veterinary care as well as accommodation consisting of 55 spacious and fully equipped horse boxes. The animals’ accompanying grooms are also well catered for.

While the €1,250,000 horse inn was constructed for four-legged travellers waiting to board a flight, it also serves animals travelling by road. Airlines providing specialised transport include El Al Cargo, Emirates, Icelandair, Qatar Airways and TNT Airways. In 2016, the airport transported more than 250 horses for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

With a focus on international air freight, Liège Airport is responsible for 66% of all European freight within the golden triangle of Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. It has developed cutting-edge cargo infrastructure.

This article was first published in the Wab magazine