News / Partnerships easy to sign – but will Rockford and Liège deliver real freighter traffic?

Liege Airport

Airports have long signed partnership agreements – but do they actually increase traffic? 

Today’s announcement by Chicago Rockford (RFD) and Liege (LGG) that they have signed an agreement in a bid to increase freighter traffic between them, will put airport partnerships back in the limelight. 

The pair are to launch joint marketing and sales initiatives, and work together on operational and digital projects to streamline processes, marking “a new chapter in transatlantic air cargo collaboration”. 

The airports are comparable: both are freighter-centric, uncongested, and strategically located near major logistics markets. However, the next step – execution – will be key to their success, said one air cargo insider. 

“This agreement can help, but not much unless they adopt a true door-to-door data and logistics corridor between the two airports, similar to what Amsterdam and Mumbai did with pharma. 

“To make it happen, you need the two airports to mirror capabilities. A simple analogy is if you ship a horse ex-LGG on arrival in RFD, because you have this capability, the airport has to have all the pre-shipping information, such as agriculture, health, customs and so on, in advance.

“It all has to be digital to ensure a seamless on-the-ground experience in the destination airport. Logistically, it also has to have the operational capability to handle the horse off the aircraft, out of the stall, and onto a truck. 

“Now apply that analogy to ecommerce, pharma, express and so on, and you get to be the two airports of choice.” 

A year ago, Glasgow Prestwick and RFD announced a similar partnership, to focus initially on the aerospace and ecommerce sectors. But as yet, no services have begun between the pair, suggesting a closer cooperation may have been needed to boost airline-shipper interest. However, Nico Le Roux, business development director for Glasgow Prestwick, told The Loadstar that the new agreement could benefit all three airports.

“It is positive, and all three parties will benefit from it. We are very keen to establish a LGG – PIK – RFD route.”

Stan Wraight, president of SASI World, which has developed a Smart Cargo Airports programme – of which RFD is a subscriber – said there were benefits to be gained if agreements are done correctly. 

“A data corridor allows everyone to achieve the lowest possible costs, because that, and what you need on the ground, is coordinated in advance. This should not be just for high-value verticals like AVI, express or life sciences, it should be for everything. 

“[The aim is for] speed, transparency, quality, compliance, and all at the lowest possible unit costs. The SASI World mantra and guiding principles for our clients are achievable if the two airports follow these principles in a united fashion.” 

So far, scant detail has emerged on how closely the pair will work, but some carriers appear to have flown between the airports in the past, but likely on an ad hoc basis. 

Torsten Wefers, VP sales & marketing at Liege, said: “This agreement is a testament to our shared vision for the future of air cargo. 

“Together with Chicago Rockford International Airport, we are building a robust transatlantic corridor that will benefit shippers, carriers, and the global supply chain.” 

Executive director of RFD Zach Oakley added: “Liege and Rockford are both cargo-centric airports with complementary strengths. “This partnership formalises our collaboration and sets the stage for exciting new opportunities.”