Challenge Airlines (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
code: X7;
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
code: CHG) established as ACE Air Cargo Europe and in 2018 rebranded as ACE Belgium Freighteres, is a Belgian
cargo airline based in
Liege Airport. The carrier operates air cargo services throughout Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Challenge Airlines launched service operations in mid-2019.
History
The company originally dates back to 1976, when its predecessor, CAL Cargo Airlines, began flying out of
Ben Gurion Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport, ; ar, مطار بن غوريون الدولي , commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the ...
in
Tel Aviv, Israel, originally flying agricultural products to Europe. As it expanded, the company operated its main hub in Liege, Belgium.
, a former air force pilot, economist and graduate of
Tel Aviv University, founded the modern Challenge Airlines in 2017. Challenge Airlines received its
AOC in April 2019. In July 2019, the company launched services to the United States, and in September 2020 it began flying to China.
CAL Cargo Airlines and Challenge Airlines were integrated into the
Challenge Group
The Challenge Group is an international air cargo group. It employs 850 staff members across several countries, has a fleet of eight Boeing 747 and Boeing 757, 767 aircraft.
The group comprises three airlines, Challenge Airlines IL, Challeng ...
in 2020. In 2022, CAL Cargo Airlines rebranded to Challenge Airlines IL.
The company has a subsidiary based in Malta branded as Challenge Airlines MT, which received its
Air Operator's Certificate in November of 2022. The airline flew its first flight later that month. The subsidiary is likely to fly a mix of perishable, pharma, and sea/air connections at first and eventually expand to fly the group's specialties of horses, cars, engines, and more in the long-term.
The airline is especially focusing on expanding its presence in the sea-to-air business model with a focus on the
United Arab Emirates' market. It also serves as a contractor for the Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Defense.
Fleet
As of December 2022, the airline operates three Boeing 747s and two Boeing 767s across all airlines in its group with firm plans to add an additional two 767s to the Israeli fleet. It also has plans to add a Boeing 777 to its fleet.
1 –
Boeing 747-400BCF
The Boeing 747-400 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, an advanced variant of the initial Boeing 747.
The "Advanced Series 300" was announced at the September 1984 Farnborough Airshow, targetin ...
(OO-ACE)
1 –
Boeing 747-400ERF (OO-ACF)
1 –
Boeing 747-400F (OE-LRG)
2 –
Boeing 767-300ER
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
(9H-CAD) (operating for Challenge Airlines MT)
Destinations
From its base in Liege Airport, Challenge Airlines fly cargo operations to the following destinations: Houston, Atlanta, New York, Oslo, Larnaca, Tel Aviv, Wuhan via Astana, and Dubai (SHJ). Challenge Airlines MT flies from Malta to Tel Aviv, Sharjah, New York, and Indian Sub-Continent.
References
{{Portal bar, Belgium, Companies, Aviation, Transport
Airlines of Belgium
Airlines established in 2017
Cargo airlines of Belgium
Companies based in Liège Province
2017 establishments in Belgium