Brussels Airport Tests Air Shipments of Sensitive Medical Materials

Brussels Airport (BRU) has initiated a series of test shipments of highly sensitive human cell and blood material associated with advanced precision therapies, aiming to establish protocols for global air transport of personalised medical consignments.

The initiative, part of the Precision Therapy Logistics Gateway (PTLG) programme, involves small consignments of therapeutic samples flown as cargo on scheduled passenger flights from Brussels to BioLabs Pegasus Park in Dallas, Texas. The airport’s cargo division reports that ten test flights have been completed successfully since November 2025, with approximately 50 additional consignments planned over the coming weeks as part of the project’s trial phase. 

Precision therapies such as cell, gene and radioligand treatments require stringent handling due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions, including temperature and timing. Unlike routine pharmaceuticals, these materials often represent personalised treatments for individual patients — patients who, under the current model, may not need to travel themselves if their biological samples can be reliably dispatched by air. 

Brussels Airport’s role as a major European pharmaceutical freight hub underpins the project. Its cargo precinct includes approximately 45,000 m² of temperature-controlled storage, a critical asset for managing sensitive materials that must be maintained within precise environmental conditions throughout each shipment cycle. Upon arrival at BRU, consignments clear customs and are held in refrigerated facilities before being loaded into specially developed refrigerated containers for flight. 

The PTLG project is coordinated with a network of medical, academic and logistics partners. Samples are sourced through the Laboratory of Experimental Haematology at the University of Antwerp and transported from the Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine at Antwerp University Hospital to Brussels Airport. Project partners include the Antwerp ATMP ecosystem at.las, Pharma.Aero and Air Cargo Belgium, each contributing expertise to the experimental logistics chain. 

Continuous monitoring of lead times, temperature and traceability is being conducted via sensors attached to the consignments. This data will help identify bottlenecks and risks in current logistics processes and support the development of formalised protocols. Results from the test phase are expected in the first half of 2026, after which partners aim to develop an internationally recognised set of standards for transporting precision therapies by air.

Developing a scalable logistics model for precision therapy shipments comes amid rising global demand for personalised medical treatments, including those for cancer and rare diseases. Brussels Airport’s proactive approach, leveraging established cold-chain infrastructure and cargo handling expertise, positions it to potentially lead globally in this emerging segment of aviation logistics. 

Beyond establishing transport protocols, project stakeholders are evaluating whether a dedicated logistics centre might be needed within BRU’s cargo area to support higher volumes of such specialised shipments. If realised, this facility could further enhance the airport’s capability to manage sensitive medical consignments under stringent controls, drawing more biotech and healthcare traffic into its network. 

For aviation professionals and cargo operators, the PTLG project underscores how airports can leverage existing passenger flight networks and cargo facilities to support sophisticated supply chains involving time-critical and temperature-sensitive medical materials. As regulators and health-care stakeholders increasingly look for scalable solutions to bridge geographical divides in access to advanced therapies, initiatives such as this could shape future standards for medical logistics via air transport.