Flying carpets en route to Malta
The transport of priceless tapestries from Liège, Belgium, where they had undergone restoration, to Malta signified both a celebration of history as well as the creation of a new historic moment: the valuable cargo was the first to be carried by one of Challenge Airlines MT's two B767-300ER on the airline's inaugural flight, having been awarded its AOC by Transport Malta on 1 November 2022.
Challenge Airlines MT provided both the flight as well as logistical support. At the welcoming ceremony on 15 November, Yossi Shoukroun, CEO of Challenge Group, commented: "320 years ago, these valuable Flemish tapestries made their way by ship from Belgium to Malta. Today, we are honoured and delighted to have been chosen to return them again to their home in St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta." (ah)