Challenge Group adds 4th production 747-400F

AMSTERDAM — Challenge Group has purchased a production 747-400F and placed it on the certificate of its Israel-based airline, Challenge Airlines IL. “We are not looking to move away from the 747 completely,” Chief Commercial Officer Or Zak said during a panel on widebody freighters at Cargo Facts EMEA 2024 today. “Obviously, there are changes within the industry, like regulation, which require us to look into the fact that some of our 747 frames are getting older. Some of them still have twenty years to go, so we’re good on that aspect, but we have a lot of trust in the 747.” [caption id="attachment_56867112" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Challenge Group Chief Commercial Officer Or Zak speaking at Cargo Facts EMEA 2024. (Photo/Cargo Facts)[/caption] The deal marks a return to Israel for the 1994-vintage, PW4000-powered freighter 26563. It was most recently in operation with Air Atlanta Icelandic on an ACMI basis for Magma Aviation after El Al Israel Airlines removed it from its fleet in 2019 . “It goes to show the trust that we have in the 747-400F and its ability to serve the demand in the market compared to other types,” Zak said. The addition of the 747 ties into Challenge Group’s overall fleet expansion and Challenge has been looking at adding the aircraft for a couple of years, the group told Cargo Facts , adding that it is not planning on purchasing any more 747s this year but is open to profitable investments. Further fleet growth Challenge Group expects to have nine freighters in its fleet by yearend, Zak said. In addition to the 747, Challenge will also add three more 767-300BDSF conversions. The one closest to redelivery is the 1998-vintage unit 28207 (ex-Pegas Fly), which began test flights this month after conversion at the Jat Tehnika facility in Belgrade (BEG). Challenge took redelivery of its first 767-300BDSF (25588, ex-Air Canada) in August 2023. That 1996-vintage aircraft is now in service with Malta-based Challenge Airlines MT and was the first freighter conversion at Jat Tehnika. Challenge Group’s four other 747s are with Challenge Airlines IL, which operates a 2007-vintage production 747-400F (35172), and Belgium-based Challenge Airlines BE, which operates: A 2007-vintage production 747-400F (35169); A 1994-vintage production 747-400F (26561); and A 1991-vintage 747-400BCF (24227). “The converted one is getting old and most probably we’ll need to retire it at some point over the next five years,” Zak said. “It’s just at some point it will be no longer financially viable to operate it. That’s why we are looking for new opportunities, and I think there will be many more opportunities coming up now when it comes to the 747. Many operators are now looking to move ahead with the 777s to a certain extent, which would mean that for operators like us, there will be opportunities out there to try and grab some additional 747s.” Challenge Group also plans to begin converting 777-300ERs with IAI in 2025, Zak confirmed. Follow Cargo Facts ’ coverage of Cargo Facts EMEA 2024 .

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