 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1976 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | 3 | ||||||
| Destinations | 4 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Ben Gurion International Airport,Israel | ||||||
| Website | https://www.challenge-group.com/ | ||||||
Challenge Airlines IL,[1] formerlyCAL Cargo Airlines Ltd. (Hebrew:ק.א.ל. קווי אוויר למטען), is acargo airline with its corporate headquarters inShoham,Israel.
CAL was established in June 1976, starting charter operations in November of that year. Originally, the airline leased aircraft fromEl Al as required; however, on 1 December 1999, it began operating scheduled services using its own aircraft following receipt of Israeli government licences.
In 1997, CAL purchased the Liège Airport Cargo Handling Services (LACHS) cargo terminal in Belgium. The facility, which is still fully owned and operated by CAL, caters to CAL's specialty in nonstandard cargo. In 2010, CAL was purchased privately by Offer Gilboa and expanded its flight operations to include daily flights to and fromTel Aviv'sBen Gurion Airport andNew York'sJohn F Kennedy International Airport.
In 2017, the airline made news headlines for buying aBoeing 747 on Chinese e-commerce websiteTaobao.com for around US$23.3 million.[citation needed]
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Challenge IL operates daily scheduled cargo flights and charter services carrying nonstandard goods and general cargo internationally. Its main base is Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and it has a hub atLiège Airport inBelgium. The airline carries approximately 100,000 tons of cargo annually, including all categories of nonstandard cargo: temperature-controlledpharmaceutical and healthcare products, live animals,dangerous goods, oversize and overweight cargo, fresh perishable products, and valuable goods such as fine art.[2] The company slogan isChallenge accepted.
Challenge IL operates freight services to the following scheduled destinations (as of May 2024).
| Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Liège | Liège Airport | Hub | |
| China | Zhengzhou | Zhengzhou International Airport | ||
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport | ||
| Norway | Oslo | Oslo Gardermoen Airport | ||
| Israel | Tel Aviv | Ben Gurion Airport | Hub |
As of August 2025[update], Challenge Airlines IL operates the following aircraft:[3]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-400ERF | 1 | 0 | 4X-ICA |
| Boeing 747-400F | 1 | 0 | 4X-ICK |
| Boeing 767-300BDSF | 1 | 0 | 4X-IAJ |
| Total | 3 | 0 |
| Aircraft | Total | Year introduced | Year retired | Replacement | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 707 | 1 | 1986 | 1987 | Boeing 747-200F | [4] | |
| Boeing 747-100F | 1 | 1993 | 1993 | None | Leased fromAtlas Air | [citation needed] |
| Boeing 747-200F | 4 | 1999 | 2017 | Boeing 747-400F | One aircraft was written off in a landing accident inLiège Airport. | [5][6][7] |
| Boeing 747-400BCF | 1 | 2016 | 2019 | None | Transferred toChallenge Airlines BE. | [citation needed] |
| Boeing 747-400ERF | 2 | 2019 | 2022 | None | Transferred toChallenge Airlines BE. | [citation needed] |
