Brussels Airport (BRU) revealed it is engaged in a test program for shipping human cell and blood material onboard passenger aircraft, which potentially could enable personalized treatments for cancer and rare diseases without patients having to travel.
So far, 10 test shipments of cell and blood samples have been flown from BRU to Dallas, where BioLabs Pegasus Park is on the receiving end. BRU said the shipments were “transported successfully” and another 50 are planned in the coming weeks. After being inspected at BioLabs, the material is sent back to Brussels. The first shipment took place in November 2025.
The Laboratory of Experimental Haematology at the University of Antwerp is providing the research samples sourced from healthy individuals. BRU, which has 45,000 m2 (484,376 ft.2) of temperature-controlled storage space in its cargo area, said the test program is aimed at developing a standardized protocol for the logistics chain of flying and delivering precision therapies.
“Currently, no such protocol exists,” the airport said. “During the test phase of the project, Brussels Airport is also investigating the need for a dedicated logistics center within the cargo area to support the transport of precision therapies.”
BRU said cell, gene and radioligand therapies “are personalized treatments for individual patients. As they are highly sensitive, they require fast, reliable transport under strictly controlled conditions, including temperature and lead time.”
The airport added: “These are relatively small consignments transported as cargo onboard of passenger flights. This logistics model ensures that patients do not need to travel themselves; instead, their cellular material does, which significantly increases treatment accessibility."
The test shipments go through customs control upon arrival at BRU and are stored in a temperature-controlled zone while waiting for the passenger aircraft on which they will be flown as cargo. The samples are “transferred to the aircraft in refrigerated containers developed by Brussels Airport … ensuring optimal conditions during transport,” BRU said.
The airport noted sensors are “added to the shipments to monitor critical parameters such as lead times, temperature control and traceability throughout the logistics process. This enables the identification of potential risks and bottlenecks across the transport chain.”
BRU expects the results of the test program in the first half of 2026, which airport officials said will enable the establishment of formal protocols for transporting these sensitive medical materials by air.
BRU CEO Arnaud Feist said the “production and use of precision therapies … calls for a logistics approach in which speed, accuracy and reliability are essentials.”
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