International air cargo conglomerate, Challenge Group, has officially launched its Boeing 777-300ERSF conversion programme, marking a significant step forward in its fleet modernisation and growth strategy.

As announced earlier this year, Challenge Group will introduce the converted Boeing 777-300ERSF freighter into its operational fleet in 2025. The move is positioned as a gamechanger for the group, enhancing its current network and enabling entry into new markets through more efficient and sustainable airfreight solutions.

With a payload capacity of nearly 100 tonnes, the 777-300ERSF is particularly well-suited for high-volume and complex cargo operations. Its addition will allow Challenge Group to strengthen key trade lanes and better serve global manufacturing centres.

In a landmark decision, the first Boeing 777-300ERSF will be registered under a Maltese Air Operator Certificate (9H), making it the first of its kind in the EASA region. This reinforces Malta’s growing position as a strategic aviation hub. The group’s integration efforts are well underway, with teams working closely with the Maltese Civil Aviation Directorate and preparing pilot training programmes for the new aircraft type.

This initiative builds on the success of Challenge Group’s Boeing 767-300BDSF conversion programme, completed in 2024, and reflects the company’s broader strategy of fleet expansion and operational excellence.

Yossi Shoukroun, chief executive of Challenge Group, said: “With the purchase of our very first Boeing 777-300ERSF, which has already been successfully relocated from its previous owner to the IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) conversion plant in Tel Aviv, we are ready to embark on an exciting new journey, giving this passenger aircraft a second life in the world of trade.

“Additionally, our programme foresees the conversion of three further aircraft, with options for an additional four, potentially bringing a total of ten Boeing 777-300ERSFs into our fleet within the next five years…Challenge Accepted!”

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