• Southeast Asia’s rising high-value exports, including pharmaceuticals, aerospace parts, and perishables, are driving demand for specialised handling, cold-chain integrity, and end-to-end shipment visibility, challenging airfreight operators.
• Infrastructure gaps at secondary airports, combined with complex customs and regulatory requirements, increase transit risk and complicate high-value shipments.
• Integrated models, like Challenge Group’s combination of airfreight, handling, trucking, and logistics, along with main-deck long-haul access and a central control tower in Liège, provide end-to-end solutions and multimodal flexibility to meet regional and global demand.

Southeast Asia’s exports are climbing the value chain — and putting real pressure on airfreight operators. From pharmaceuticals and live seafood to temperature-sensitive aerospace parts, demand is rising for specialised handling, cold-chain integrity, and full shipment visibility. But the region’s airport infrastructure and customs landscape haven’t kept pace.

“Absolutely, the region is emerging as a leader in high-value sectors,” said Or Zak, Chief Commercial Officer at Challenge Group. “Aerospace components, pharmaceuticals, and time-sensitive perishables like seafood and tropical fruit are all seeing strong growth. Our specialised handling expertise ensures these products meet the highest quality and compliance standards.”

While high-value exports increase, many secondary airports in Southeast Asia still lack the infrastructure to handle them. Temperature-controlled storage, secure warehousing, and integrated trucking services are limited or inconsistent. Customs clearance and regulatory complexity add further strain — especially when handovers span multiple agents and disconnected systems.

Challenge Group, a carrier and logistics operator with its own fleet and European hub, is aiming to close those gaps through an integrated model. “By combining airfreight operations, handling, trucking, and logistics under one roof, we offer shippers true end-to-end control,” said Zak. “This reduces transit times, minimises handover risks, and gives them a single point of accountability — critical for complex markets like Southeast Asia.”

Challenge is expanding frequencies and tailoring routings to link Southeast Asia’s production zones to its core gateways in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Zak points to a key differentiator: long-haul main-deck access via the company’s fleet of Boeing 747 freighters.

“Our 747 freighters can operate long-haul missions directly from SEA to Europe without compromise on payload,” he said. “That enables us to serve niche or capacity-constrained markets that often lack regular main-deck service.”

The company’s control tower is its 24/7 cargo hub in Liège, Belgium — a location optimised for fast transfers and secondary-city reach. From there, Southeast Asian cargo can be redistributed across Europe, or continue on to North America, Africa, or the Middle East via Challenge’s network and interline partners.

Multimodal, multi-sector, high stakes

Customers in the region are demanding more than airlift — particularly when moving complex or high-value cargo. Zak notes a rising appetite for end-to-end solutions that blend air–road or air–sea legs to balance speed and cost.

“Customers increasingly expect integrated solutions that cover everything from pick-up at origin to final-mile delivery,” he said. “We’re investing in multimodal corridors to meet that demand.”

That approach relies heavily on trusted ground partnerships. “Strong relationships with ground handlers, customs brokers, and trucking companies are vital,” said Zak. “We prioritise facilities with temperature-controlled zones, secure storage, and specialised equipment for outsized cargo — to match our handling capabilities in Liège.”