Challenger Airlines MT received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from Transport Malta on 1 November. The first cargo carried by the airline on its inaugural flight were valuable Flemish tapestries which first made their way by ship from Belgium to Malta 320 years ago and returned to Malta on 15 November, from Liège, Belgium, where they had undergone meticulous and careful restoration.
For Challenge Airlines MT, the transport of these priceless tapestries signified both a celebration of history as well as the creation of a new historic moment. As a mark of respect and in honour of the occasion, Challenge Airlines MT provided both the flight as well as logistical support.
Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, emphasised the joint commitment of all those involved: “It is a pleasure for us to see that, with a strong intervention from our Embassy in Belgium, we were able to bring these tapestries to Malta without any costs for the Maltese Government. Above all, these can now be enjoyed by the public and the tourists who choose to visit the St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.”
Challenge Airlines MT, registered as 9H, owns a fleet of two B767-300ER, each capable of uplifting a payload of 60 tonnes. Ten pilots are stationed at the group’s headquarters in Malta, ready to operate regular flights between Liège (LGG), Tel Aviv (TLV), Sharjah (SHJ), New York (JFK), and Indian Sub-Continent (ISC), in the coming future.
Source: Aviation Pros, Air Cargo News, eTN
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