CAT (Challenge Air Transport)

  1981 to July 1999

  United States of America

TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Miami, FL

FORMER NAME: Challenge Air Transport subsidiary of Bellomy-Lawson Aviation

OTHER NAMES: CAT (Challenge Air Transport), CAC (Challenge Air Cargo), CAI (Challenge Air International)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Centurion Air Cargo

Challenge Air Transport was founded in 1978 as a subsidiary of Bellomy-Lawson Aviation. Its main activity were cargo charter flights between Florida and the Caribbean. In 1981, Challenge was spun off from Bellomy-Lawson, and purchased by Bill F. Spohrer, former CEO of TAN in Honduras and Michael M. DeBakey, a founding investor in Air Florida. Challenge was operating four propliners at the time: DC-6s and Commandos. A Douglas DC-8 was added to the fleet in 1983.

The new owners found a niche market in 1985 when Air Florida collapsed. In partnership with Dutch Transvia, they opened subsidiary Challenge Air International (CAI), using Boeing 737s to fly passengers to Caribbean and Latin American destinations. However, the venture was crushed by competition with Eartern Air Lines by 1987.

Challenge returned to the cargo business with Boeing 707s under the name Challenge Air Cargo. Challenge operated until 1999, when it was taken over and renamed Centurion Air Cargo.

June 1978 to 1982

Smith Super 46C Commando: N9900Z