Only a few months before the Rio Olympic Games and timing it perfectly, Liege Air Cargo Handling Services (LACHS) has been awarded a three-year contract to manage the Horse Inn at Liege Airport.

The Horse Inn is for horses being transported by air and accommodates them during transit by road. It represents an investment of 2.6 million euros ($2.9 million).

LACHS is owned and operated by the CAL Cargo Airlines Group and is designed to upgrade Liege’s service provision for the transportation of live horses, which is set to increase ahead of the Olympics.

LACHS general manager, Yossi Shoukroun says: “Global horse transport movements are so frequent that it is almost impossible to know the exact market size. However, the transport of horses for pleasure and sport is a rapidly growing market, and air travel makes the horses’ lives easier.

“As experts in the transport of non-standard cargo such as live animals, we have invested a tremendous amount to ensure top-of-the-line infrastructure for this valuable cargo.”

LACHS specialises in dedicated charters as well as scheduled routes and boasts experience in complex equine projects, including multiple charters of horses, and can handle a mass of horses on a tight timeline.

LACHS maintains specialised flooring for horses, collapsible horse stalls and both standard and custom built crates for smaller animals. Often, the horse groom or escort will fly along with the animal, taking care of feeding and proactive care.

With a view to developing this sector, Liege Airport has called on recognised experts, including Grégory Wathelet, the top Belgian show jumper and European runner-up, and Félix-Marie Brasseur, twice world individual driving four-in-hand champion.