Ports

Rockford Airport pursues Liège model to capture O'Hare cargo

Chicago Rockford International Airport is positioning itself as a major cargo alternative to O'Hare by adopting strategies from Belgium's Liège Airport, according to Rene Espinet, vice-president of cargo business development at the Illinois hub.

Rockford has established a sister-airport relationship with Liège to study how the Belgian facility attracted freighter operations away from nearby Brussels Airport, a passenger-focused hub. The strategy aims to replicate Liège's approach of drawing cargo flights to a dedicated cargo-friendly airport.

Espinet acknowledged Rockford remains 10 to 15 years behind Liège's development curve but views the partnership as a learning opportunity. He noted the relationship would enable Rockford to approach carriers already operating at the Belgian hub.

The initiative supports Rockford's broader transformation from a domestic parcel center into an international cargo gateway. The airport currently handles approximately 85 freighters daily, with UPS and Amazon as primary operators.