Challenge Group, ECS Group expand partnership into Eastern Europe

Challenge Group and ECS Group have expanded their international collaboration under an open-ended contract signed earlier this year. ECS Group, the world’s leading GSSA, already represents Challenge Group in Germany, France, Scandinavia, Singapore, and Vietnam. In recent months, the partnership has been further extended to include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

With the inclusion of Eastern Europe, Challenge Group and ECS Group have broadened the feeder catchment area into Challenge Group’s Belgian hub, Liege, and created attractive connections to key global gateways. Challenge Group operates a dense Boeing freighter network out of Liege to the U.S., China, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and beyond, including core markets in Hong Kong, India, Kenya, China, and the U.S. The Group’s airline faction is rapidly growing and will soon be taking delivery of state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300ERSF freighters, which will complement the existing 747-400F and 767-300BDSF fleets and will enable further new routings to Asia and South America in the coming years. It also regularly carries out international charter operations.

“Challenge Group is unique because we take on the logistics challenges that standard cargo service providers reject. Every transportation project is different, demanding flexibility, speed, an agile way of thinking, and, above all, professionalism, expertise, and trust,” says Or Zak, Chief Commercial Officer, Challenge Group. “In ECS Group, we know that we have a partner capable of matching our corporate mission and network, and we are delighted to have kicked off the next step in our strategic expansion.”

“Where there is Challenge, there is always opportunity,” says Jean Ceccaldi, Chief Executive Officer, ECS Group. “At ECS Group, we believe in one team, one aim, one drive, and have successfully risen together with Challenge Group to transform complex cargo challenges into sustainable business opportunities across France, Germany, Scandinavia, and Asia. We are confident that our GSSA teams in Eastern Europe will also achieve significant market expansion and commercial growth for Challenge Group, particularly within its core target industries such as industrial machinery, engines, spare parts, and drilling equipment.”

In addition to these vertical business flows, Challenge Group’s product portfolio includes pharmaceuticals, automotives, aerospace, perishables, and live animal transports: specialisations that ECS Group is experienced and skilled in managing. Bookings and customer services are carried out using Challenge Group’s internal IT systems. Commercial processes and operational planning are enhanced through CargoTech software solutions such as Apollo for business intelligence reporting, SkyPallet for optimum capacity usage, and Rotate for in-depth market information.