Challenge Air

Challenge Air is an air cargo business in Belgium that belongs to Challenge Group. The group moves complex freight by air and road, from door to door. It covers airfreight, handling, logistics and aircraft maintenance.

The group began in 1976 as CAL, a cargo airline founded in Tel Aviv to export farm products out of Israel. Over time it added handling, logistics and maintenance. A handling company called LACHS was set up in 1997. In 1999 the group had its own fleet of two Boeing 747-200F freighters. It moved to two Boeing 747-400F freighters in 2014 and added a third in 2016, a fourth in 2018 and a fifth in 2024.

Challenge Air Cargo was set up in 2018 to strengthen the group's sales force. Challenge Airlines BE received its air operator certificate in 2019, and Challenge Airlines MT received its own in 2022. Challenge Airlines MT took its first Boeing 767-300F in 2023. The group set up its own maintenance company in 2021. Today it has about 1,000 employees worldwide.

The group offers handling, air cargo uplift, road feeder services, aircraft and parts leasing, capacity sales and line maintenance. It has 40 trucking partners and 30,000 square meters of warehouse space. About 65 percent of its business is non-standard cargo.

Its product lines cover many kinds of freight. They include dangerous goods, large and oversize cargo, cars and vehicles, valuables and artworks, pharmaceuticals, fresh food and flowers, and e-commerce parcels. For aerospace, it handles urgent AOG shipments, including large engines, with an engine high loader. A 52 ton high loader helps with oversize items.

The group is CEIV Pharma certified for medicines and healthcare products. It is also a CEIV Lithium Battery entity and ships batteries, including UN3480 and UN3090 items. Its dangerous goods team is audited to handle hazardous material of any class, including explosives and radioactive cargo.

Customers come from aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, fashion, electronics, courier and postal, and pharmaceutical fields. The group says its promise is Challenge Accepted, and it ships even horses, hazardous goods and huge items.

Services

• Airfreight
• Air cargo charters
• Handling and logistics
• Road feeder services
• Aircraft and parts leasing
• Capacity sales
• Line maintenance
• Dangerous goods transport
• Pharma cargo
• Oversize cargo