Liège Airport (LGG) handles mainly cargo and air freight.
Have you ever wondered how dressage, race horses, and thoroughbreds are transported worldwide to participate in races and events? The Challenge Group subsidiary Challenge Handling is an expert handling as many as 7,000 horses annually.
Photo: Challenge Airlines
Safely transporting a horse from one destination to another by road is stressful enough, but the workload doubles if you need to transport the horse by air. When transporting a horse overseas by air, organization is the key to getting the job done right. Be aware of the quarantine requirements in the country you are traveling to, and ensure you have all the correct paperwork. Failure to do this can result in lengthy delays and additional costs. When traveling by air, horses need to be made comfortable. To help with this, ensure the horse has plenty of hay and water for the journey.
Challenge Handling built a hotel for horses
Seeing the potential to become Europe’s leading international horse transport company Challenge Handling built a state-of-the-art facility at Liège Airport (LGG). Called the “Horse Inn” the facility is a place for horses to rest before getting on or off a plane and is geared towards their grooms and handlers.
Photo: HORSE INN
Facilities at the Horse Inn include the following features:
- A soothing, relaxing atmosphere
- Special loading and offloading ramps
- 55 spacious & luxurious stalls
- A healthcare and check area
- Veterinary assistance around the clock
- Special horse flooring and ramps
- Hot and cold water
- Dedicated customs procedures
Photo: HORSE INN
For grooms and handlers, the Horse Inn has:
- An area for resting
- Free WiFi
- Secure placers to store personnel items and equipment
- Toilets and showers
- Transportation to nearby hotels and restaurants
From the Horse Inn, it is possible, thanks to the excellent network of highways, to reach Europe’s most significant cities by truck in less than a day.
Challenge Handling mainly transports Horses using it own aircraft
When speaking about the facility at Liège Airport (LGG) with the monthly industry magazine Cargo News Wire Chief Operating Officer of Challenge Group Hay Sasson said:
“The well-being of any animal is in our corporate culture. Respect and the correct care and protection is ensured by assiduous, trained staff, who are experts in handling all kinds of animals – with the strict exception of any animals intended for laboratory use, as per Challenge Group’s ethical code of conduct.”
He later added, “Our expertise has meanwhile established Liège as one of the best gateways in the world for horses. “Not only is Challenge Handling an Olympics partner for horse transports to locations outside Europe, but we were also proud, in 2022, to be appointed to continue to run the Horse Inn for another five years. “And our Challenge Airlines, too, are regularly entrusted with some of the world’s most valuable horse transports. In 2022, we carried around 5000 horses on our own aircraft.”
About Liège Airport (LGG)
Located 5.8 miles from the eastern Belgium city of Liège in Wallonia, LGG is primarily used for cargo/freight operations. The airport is located in the center of the golden triangle linking Paris-Amsterdam-Frankfurt.
The airport has excellent road and rail links throughout Europe, handling 66% of all European air freight and 75% when you add London.
Sources: CargoNewsWire.
Source: simpleflying.com
