Challenge Group has begun operating in Africa for the first time with the launch of a new route from its hub at Liege Airport (LGG) in Belgium to Nairobi (NBO) in Kenya.
The new route launched on December 2 and is served by twice weekly flights on Mondays and Thursdays, using a Boeing 767 freighter aircraft with a cargo capacity of approximately 400 cu m and the ability to carry up to 52 tons.
Nairobi is a a key market for perishable goods and Challenge Group is also keen to meet the overall demand for airfreight out of Africa.
“Our decision to launch flights to Nairobi is driven by our customer-centric approach,” said Or Zak, chief commercial officer at Challenge Group. “With the increasing demand for airfreight solutions out of Africa, we are delighted to offer our clients dependable access to this emerging market.
“Additionally, by linking Nairobi to our hub in Liege, we are strengthening Liege’s role as a competitive and well-equipped hub for handling and distributing perishable cargo.”
Challenge Group said the Nairobi route follows on from the expansion of its Indian operations, with the launch of a new service to Delhi in October. In May, the Group also added a scheduled freighter service from LGG to Dubai World Central (DWC)via Tel Aviv (TLV).
In October, Challenge Group completed its Boeing 767 conversion programme with the deployment of two newly converted 767-300 freighters. It now has – as planned – four B767-300BDSF aircraft in its fleet, the first of which was delivered in the autumn of last year.
The addition of these freighters has, Challenge Group said, also freed up capacity on its Boeing 747 freighters, allowing for increased long-haul destinations and enhanced connectivity between Europe, the Far East and the US with that aircraft type.
Challenge Group now operates a total of 10 aircraft. The Group operates its fleet of 747 and 767 freighters across three airlines: Challenge Airlines IL in Israel, Challenge Airlines BE in Belgium and Challenge Airlines MT in Malta.