Challenge Group adds Liège–Chicago Rockford cargo link from November

Challenge Group will launch twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter services to Chicago Rockford International Airport from 4 November 2026, connecting Navi Mumbai in India with the United States via Liège.

The service will also offer outbound connections from Rockford through Liège to Europe and India. Challenge’s road feeder network, comprising approximately 1,500 truck movements per month, will provide onward distribution across Europe from its Belgian hub.

Initial shipments will focus on pharmaceuticals and oversized, out-of-gauge cargo. Rockford plans to coordinate dedicated temperature-controlled trucking for pharmaceutical consignments, linking the airport with regional destinations and Chicago warehouses.

Live-animal transport is a potential later addition. Rockford is seeking US Department of Agriculture approval to handle such shipments and says animal quarantine facilities are located approximately 64 kilometres from the airport.

Challenge Group chief commercial officer Or Zak said the service would expand options for specialised cargo moving between India, Europe and the US. Rockford executive director Zack Oakley identified opportunities to increase frequencies beyond the initial twice-weekly schedule.

The route was announced during the TIACA Air Cargo Forum in Miami, held from 26 to 29 October.