Airline overview
ASL Airlines Belgium is an international all-cargo airline registered in Belgium, operating as ASL Airlines Belgium with IATA code 3V, ICAO code TAY and its main base at Liege Airport. In the Chinese market the airline runs scheduled intercontinental cargo routes from China under its own brand, with Chinese stations including Shanghai, Jinan and Hangzhou, plus a rotation to Ezhou, making it one of the stable freighter options between China and Europe. The airline began as TNT Airways in 1999 and was renamed after ASL Aviation Holdings acquired it in May 2016; its China business descends from that operating history.
For Chinese forwarders and direct shippers, the value of ASL Airlines Belgium comes down to three things. First, scheduled widebody freighter flights from origins in east, north and central China direct to Liege, giving e-commerce, express and manufacturing cargo capacity into a European hub. Second, night operations and fast transfer at Liege let cargo arriving in Europe be unloaded, sorted, cleared and handed to trucks in the same logistics zone, connecting to next-day delivery across Europe. Third, the Boeing 747 widebody freighter fleet and charter business can cover temporary large-capacity requirements from Chinese customers, with routes and times set at booking.
To support its China business, the ASL group runs logistics nodes in Asia Pacific including a Hong Kong office, a Shanghai distribution centre and offices in Ningbo and Shenzhen, through which Chinese shippers or authorized cargo sales agents can handle booking, documentation and ground connections. The airline's China activity centres on flight operations and capacity sales; no separate in-house ticket office is listed in public channels, and actual bookings are confirmed through agents and the carrier.
The airline's official website is www.aslairlines.be. Chinese shippers can reach ASL Airlines Belgium intercontinental capacity at Liege through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited for schedules, aircraft type and rate guidance.
Contact channels in China
In-house presence
ASL Airlines Belgium's China market activity centres on flight operations and capacity sales. Chinese shippers needing capacity can go through the airline's authorized cargo sales agents, group logistics entities, or us. Public channels list no standalone ticket office set up by the airline in China.
Verifiable group resources in Asia Pacific
The ASL group runs logistics nodes in Asia Pacific, including a Hong Kong office, a Shanghai distribution centre and offices in Ningbo and Shenzhen, which can serve as the interface between Chinese shippers and the Liege operating entity. Specific bookings and prices are subject to agent quotations and carrier confirmation.
Fleet types and payload
ASL Airlines Belgium operates an all-cargo fleet of Boeing narrowbody and widebody freighters. The narrowbody fleet serves the dense European night express network and the widebody fleet flies long intercontinental routes. The airline is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 737-800BCF and has one of Europe's largest 737 freighter fleets.
| Aircraft type | Positioning | Reference payload | Main task |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800BCF | Narrowbody freighter | About 22 tonnes | Workhorse of the FedEx night network in Europe |
| Boeing 737-400SF | Narrowbody freighter | About 19 tonnes | Supplementary European capacity, being progressively replaced |
| Boeing 747-400F | Widebody freighter | Up to about 117 tonnes | Intercontinental long haul, full cargo on main and lower decks |
| Boeing 747-400ERF | Extended-range widebody freighter | High payload over long distance | China, North America and long-range charter missions |
Chinese airports served and schedule basis
ASL Airlines Belgium operates scheduled cargo routes from China under its own brand, with Chinese origin and destination points including Shanghai, Jinan and Hangzhou, plus a weekly rotation to Ezhou. The schedules below are the airline's published scheduled services; times are local.
| Chinese station | Code | Indicative schedule | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Pudong | PVG | About 4 flights per week | Liege, connecting to the European and intercontinental network |
| Jinan | TNA | About 4 flights per week | Liege, manufacturing origins in north China |
| Hangzhou | HGH | High frequency daily | Liege, e-commerce and express origins |
| Ezhou | EHU | Weekly rotation | Liege, opened in 2025 |
Network from China to the world
Chinese cargo is loaded at Shanghai, Jinan, Hangzhou and other airports and flies direct to Liege, where it enters the European distribution network and can connect to long-haul points including New York in North America, Johannesburg in South Africa and Nairobi in East Africa. The airline's European network operates about 670 flights a week to about 60 European destinations, so Chinese cargo cleared at Liege can move quickly to major western European markets such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Cargo advantages from China
Liege gateway into the heartland
Liege sits in the core western European logistics corridor with a dense surrounding road network, so Chinese cargo can be trucked to Germany's Ruhr area, northern France and the Netherlands shortly after landing, making final distribution in Europe efficient.
Stable widebody freighter capacity
Boeing 747 widebody freighters offer full main and lower deck cargo capability, suited to concentrated shipments of large e-commerce volumes, general cargo and oversize cargo from China, with relatively stable intercontinental capacity.
Express-grade network performance
The airline carries the FedEx European night network and works to express operating standards with high-frequency ground handling, so Chinese cargo can enter European terminals quickly through an established night hub.
Multiple receiving points in China
Shanghai, Jinan, Hangzhou and Ezhou cover the Yangtze River Delta, north China and central China origin belts, so Chinese shippers can deliver locally and cut domestic transfer costs.
Special cargo accepted
The airline's published list covers sensitive cargo, perishables, dangerous goods, fine art, live animals, pharmaceuticals, vehicles and outsized cargo, matching high-value Chinese export categories.
Round-the-world routings
In 2024 the airline became the first Belgian carrier to operate round-the-world routings between China and the United States, giving Chinese shippers flexible combinations of trans-Pacific and transatlantic legs.
Booking path in China
- The shipper provides commodity, pieces, weight, volume, origin airport and destination station; we check available capacity and aircraft type at the corresponding ASL Airlines Belgium Chinese station.
- Capacity is secured through the airline's authorized sales agents or ASL group entities in Asia Pacific, confirming schedule, documentation and cargo cut-off times and the chargeable weight basis.
- Complete the booking form, dangerous goods or special cargo declarations, security screening and customs documents as the carrier requires, and the cargo enters the Chinese airport terminal.
- Cargo is loaded at Shanghai, Jinan, Hangzhou or Ezhou and flies direct to Liege, where it clears customs and moves to European truck distribution or connecting long-haul flights.
- We track the MAWB throughout, coordinate destination pickup, transit and final delivery, and handle exceptions to the carrier's rules.
Cargo services relevant to China
Cross-border e-commerce logistics
The airline provides freighter capacity from China to Liege for e-commerce logistics customers such as Cainiao. Liege Airport focuses on e-commerce, flowers and live animals, which suits volume exports of Chinese cross-border e-commerce parcels to Europe.
High-value and time-critical cargo
With widebody freighters and an express-grade hub, the airline carries Chinese electronics, pharmaceuticals, high-value industrial goods and urgent replenishment, meeting European supply chain transit time requirements.
Vehicles and outsized cargo
The Boeing 747 main deck nose and side cargo doors support vehicles, large equipment and outsized cargo, serving Chinese equipment manufacturing and new energy exports.
Charters and dedicated capacity
Besides scheduled flights, the airline offers charters to large logistics customers and forwarders, with transport plans built around Chinese peak season shipments, project cargo and central purchasing.
Documentation for export bookings from China
Chinese shippers moving cargo on ASL Airlines Belgium need a document set consistent with the cargo and the terms of trade. Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, air waybill and, for customs, the contract, declaration form and electronic authorization. The commercial invoice must show buyer and seller, terms of trade, commodity, quantity, unit price and total value; the packing list must show gross weight, net weight, volume and marks for each piece, consistent with what is actually delivered to the terminal.
Cargo claiming tariff preference or needing destination clearance requires a certificate of origin as applicable; dangerous goods require a shipper's declaration with the UN number, class and packing group; perishables require quarantine, health or temperature control certificates; lithium batteries, magnetic items, powders and liquids require a transport condition assessment or specific test report. Cross-border e-commerce cargo is submitted as electronic data under the applicable customs regime.
The air waybill is the transport document between carrier and shipper, and the commodity, pieces, weight, chargeable weight, freight payment terms and special handling instructions on it must be accurate. A mismatch between documents and the physical cargo can keep it off the flight, delay destination clearance or generate amendment and storage charges. Checking documents before the documentation cut-off reduces operational risk in peak season.
Chargeable weight and rate basis
Air freight chargeable weight is the higher of actual gross weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight multiplies length, width and height and divides by the standard air freight factor of 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram, about 167 kilograms per cubic meter. Light bulky cargo, e-commerce low-density cargo and household goods are usually charged on volumetric weight, while heavy cargo, metals and machinery are usually charged on actual gross weight.
Rates consist of the base freight, fuel surcharge, security surcharge and war risk, and some destinations add peak season surcharges, remote delivery fees and special cargo handling fees. Minimum charges apply per shipment according to the minimum chargeable weight and minimum freight. Consolidated cargo can reduce cost through better chargeable density and handling, but must meet the carrier's palletising and screening requirements.
Giving accurate piece dimensions, total pieces and packaging method at the enquiry stage helps produce a realistic chargeable weight estimate. Final chargeable weight follows the carrier terminal's weighing and measuring; rates and surcharges move with the market and flight programme and follow the carrier's published and confirmed information on the day of booking.
Carrier liability and cargo insurance
International air carriage is governed by the applicable conventions and the carrier's conditions. The carrier is liable for loss, damage or delay occurring while the cargo is in its charge, but that liability is subject to statutory limits; unless the shipper declares a higher value and pays the corresponding charge, compensation is usually calculated at the limit per kilogram and rarely covers the actual value of high-value cargo.
Shippers of high-value electronics, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, precision equipment and consolidated e-commerce lots should arrange air cargo insurance according to value and risk, covering the whole journey or an agreed portion, to obtain protection matching the cargo value. Coverage, deductibles, exclusions and claim documents must be confirmed before departure; dangerous goods, perishables and used equipment may carry special underwriting conditions.
When loss, shortage or delay occurs, the consignee should file a written objection with the carrier or its ground agent within the prescribed period, keeping the air waybill, delivery receipts, photographs, survey reports and commercial documents as the basis for a claim. We can help the shipper prepare claim documents and follow the carrier's progress, but final liability and amount are determined by the carrier and the insurer.
EU clearance and peak season shipping
EU import clearance
Chinese cargo entering the EU via Liege must be classified accurately under the combined nomenclature and is subject to EU tariffs, VAT and trade controls, with low-value e-commerce goods declared under the applicable regime. Importers holding authorized economic operator status benefit from facilitation and inspection arrangements.
Peak season capacity
Capacity tightens in the fourth quarter e-commerce peak and the European holiday stocking period. Shippers who secure schedules early, deliver full pallets and allow a buffer before cut-off reduce the risk of rolled cargo and delay; urgent cargo can be combined with charters or split across stations.
Ground handling and transfer at Liege
Liege is one of the few European cargo hubs built around freight and able to operate at night. Terminals, major forwarders and e-commerce logistics companies are clustered on site, so arriving cargo can be unloaded, sorted, cleared, depalletised and handed to trucks in the same logistics zone, shortening ground dwell time. As the airport's long-standing main carrier, ASL's flight programme is closely tied to terminal handling, customs channels and truck resources, giving Chinese imports high-frequency transfer.
The airport has bonded and customs-controlled facilities, and imports can be released directly, moved under bond or transited to another EU gateway depending on the trade terms. E-commerce cargo whose final consignee is not yet decided, or which needs distribution across several EU countries, can enter a controlled warehouse for sorting, labelling and consolidation before delivery. Motorways around the airport link the main industrial areas of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France, and short truck legs reach the main consumer markets of the Rhine and Scheldt basins within hours.
Full pallets at Liege can be transferred directly to trucks to shorten the time from landing to departure; bulk cargo and cargo requiring inspection need time for sorting and customs examination. Telling us at booking whether bonded storage, transit or final delivery is needed lets the carrier and ground agents plan resources in advance.
Pickup and consolidation in China
Origins in mainland China cover the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, Bohai Rim and central and western manufacturing bases. Shippers can have cargo collected at the factory and trucked to the origin airport, or consolidate scattered lots at a regional warehouse before export. South China cargo can clear and screen at Shenzhen or Guangzhou, east China at Shanghai, Hangzhou or Ningbo, north China via Beijing or Zhengzhou, and central and western cargo can use Chongqing, Chengdu or Xi'an for domestic mainline.
Domestic transport can use dedicated trucks, LCL road consolidation or air transfer. Dedicated trucks are stable and keep cargo status under control, LCL suits smaller lots with moderate transit time requirements, and urgent cross-region cargo can connect by domestic flight. A consolidation warehouse can inspect, label, re-box, palletise and measure, so cargo meets air transport standards before delivery and the risk of rejection and rehandling at the terminal is lower.
Before delivery to the terminal, the booking form, customs authorization and accompanying documents must be complete, and dangerous goods and special cargo need their assessment documents and package marks checked. Handling pickup, consolidation and declaration through one party reduces information gaps between several parties and secures a stable cut-off for Liege flights.
Packaging and ULD handling
Air cargo must stay intact under vibration, stacking, handling and turbulence. Conventional cargo should use cartons, wooden cases or metal packaging matched to weight and shape, with internal cushioning and external strapping or stretch wrap; fragile cargo must be marked this way up, fragile and with stacking limits; bare machinery and metal parts need protruding or sharp edges wrapped so they cannot pierce the hold or injure handlers.
Cargo suited to ULDs should be packed to standard pallet or container dimensions to avoid over-width or over-height that prevents loading. Heavy cargo needs the base board load capacity confirmed and the weight spread out, and liquids and powders must be leak-proof with secondary sealing. Outer marks should include the air waybill number, destination, piece count and any handling symbols; unclear marks increase misrouting.
When palletising, place heavy cargo at the bottom and light cargo on top, keep the centre of gravity central and secure the whole pallet; total pallet weight must stay within aircraft and ULD limits. Packing and preparing cargo properly at the origin warehouse avoids re-palletising and reinforcement charges at the terminal and reduces crushing, shifting and damage in transit.
FAQ
Which Chinese cities can ship with ASL Airlines Belgium?
Scheduled cargo stations are Shanghai, Jinan and Hangzhou, with an Ezhou rotation added. Shippers can deliver locally or we can arrange the domestic leg to those airports.
How is cargo distributed to other European cities after arriving in Liege?
The road network around Liege is dense, so cleared cargo can reach markets in Germany, France and the Netherlands quickly by truck and connect to the airline's European night freighter network.
Can Chinese shippers book directly with the airline?
International cargo capacity is normally booked through authorized sales agents or forwarders. We can reach ASL Airlines Belgium capacity at Liege and handle documentation, declaration and tracking.
Are schedules fixed?
Published schedules are the scheduled basis; actual schedules change with the season and contracts, times are local, and confirmation rests with the carrier on the day of booking.
Can dangerous goods and live animals be carried?
The airline's published list covers dangerous goods, live animals, pharmaceuticals, perishables and fine art, confirmed case by case against commodity restrictions and aircraft capability.