Challenge Group

Challenge Group is an air cargo and aviation logistics group with airlines in Israel, Belgium and Malta. It describes itself as a door to door specialist for complex air cargo. It says about 65 percent of its business is non-standard cargo. The group has about 1,000 employees worldwide.

The group covers four areas of expertise. These are air freight, handling and ancillary services, logistics and maintenance. It says it can offer handling, air cargo uplift, road feeder services, aircraft and parts leasing, capacity sales and line maintenance. Its brands include Challenge Airlines, Challenge Air Cargo, Challenge Aviation, Challenge Handling, Challenge Logistics and Challenge Technic.

Cargo products carry short names. C-BIG covers large and complex cargo, such as aerospace shipments, oil and gas equipment and oversize items. For aircraft on the ground, the group handles urgent parts and large engines like the Trent 1000 and GE90, using an engine high loader. It also lists a 52 ton high loader for out of gauge items.

C-DGR covers dangerous goods on cargo aircraft only. This includes chemicals, explosives, radioactive items and lithium batteries. C-PHARMA moves medicines and healthcare goods in temperature-controlled containers, and the group holds CEIV Pharma certification. It also holds CEIV Lithium Battery certification. C-ECOM serves courier, postal, electronics and fashion shippers. C-CAR moves vehicles and car parts. C-VAL handles artworks, valuables and capital equipment. C-FRESH carries flowers and food. The group also says it moves horses.

The story began in 1976, when CAL was set up in Tel Aviv as a cargo airline to export farm goods from Israel. A handling business in Liege, called LACHS, followed in 1997. In 1999 the group had its own fleet of two Boeing 747-200F freighters. Over time it moved to Boeing 747-400F freighters and now lists five of them.

More milestones followed. Challenge Air Cargo was formed in 2018 to strengthen sales. Challenge Airlines in Belgium received its air operator certificate in 2019. The group came together as Challenge Group in 2020, and it set up its own maintenance company in 2021. Challenge Airlines in Malta received its certificate in 2022 and added its first Boeing 767-300F in 2023.

The group says it has more than 20 years of experience, about 30,000 square metres of online warehouse and around 40 trucking partners. The company offers a flight schedule, track and trace tools, a quote request and a careers site for jobs from handlers to flight engineers.

Services

• Air freight
• Handling and logistics
• Maintenance and aviation services
• Road feeder services
• Aircraft and parts leasing
• Capacity sales
• Line maintenance
• Dangerous goods
• Pharma cargo
• Oversize cargo