29/01/2026
From Brussels Airport, not only passengers and suitcases travel to their destinations, but also exceptional medical shipments. Since November, several test shipments of cell and blood samples have been sent from Brussels Airport to BioLabs Pegasus Park, a biotech cluster in Dallas, USA. They form part of the Precision Therapy Logistics Gateway (PTLG) project, which explores how these precision therapies can be transported safely and quickly around the world.
Precision therapies are personalised treatments for cancer or rare conditions. The human material used for the test shipments comes from healthy donors and is transported from the Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (CCRG) of the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) to the airport.
The shipments consist of small test tubes in specially cooled boxes, but their impact is significant. Transporting precision therapies means that patients do not need to travel themselves; instead, their cellular material does, which significantly increases treatment accessibility.
Precision therapies are extremely valuable and highly sensitive. A meticulously managed logistics chain is therefore essential. Sensors in the test shipments continuously monitor temperature and lead time. Once the entire logistics process has been mapped out, Brussels Airport will become the first airport worldwide to help develop an internationally recognised standard for the reliable and rapid transport of precision therapies.
As a leading pharmaceutical hub in Europe, Brussels Airport has the necessary expertise and infrastructure for the safe transport of medicines and pharmaceutical products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, more than one billion vaccines were transported via the airport.
The cargo site has around 45,000 m² of temperature-controlled storage facilities, and refrigerated containers are used to transport temperature-sensitive shipments safely across the tarmac. During the test project, research is also being conducted into whether a dedicated logistics centre should be established for the transport of this type of medical treatment.
Thanks to the PTLG project, Brussels Airport is helping to build a safe logistics chain for life-saving precision therapies, thereby contributing to the healthcare of the future.