Alibaba-owned logistics group Cainiao has named Liège Airport (LGG) as one of its key European hubs as it intends to expand its international service by offering a “5-day delivery” service.
Alibaba Group gained control of the logistics network in 2017 when it increased its stake from 47 percent to 51 percent in a deal that cost it about $508 million.
During the last decade, Cainiao has changed the face of logistics in China. Now, Cainiao intends to expand its reach to 30 to 100 cities around the world over the next three years, betting on a boom in e-commerce in the future.
According to LGG, Cainiao’s presence will help Liege Airport become the “cargo airport of the future” by increasing the number of flights between Liege and various cities in Asia.
With the volume of e-commerce cargo that Cainiao will be handling through the new hub, it is safe to say that Liège’s attractiveness for freight carriers will increase, especially given the fact that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), which due to its convenient location between Europe and Asia has been especially favored by logistics companies and is struggling to meet airlines’ high demand for slots due to congestion and government restrictions.