Challenge Group will launch twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter service at Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) beginning Nov. 4, expanding cargo connections between India, Europe and the United States.

The new route will originate at Navi Mumbai International Airport in India, connect through Liège Airport in Belgium and continue to Rockford, Illinois.

The service will primarily transport pharmaceuticals, oversized shipments and out-of-gauge cargo, with plans to introduce live-animal transportation in the future.

To support pharmaceutical shipments, Rockford will coordinate dedicated temperature-controlled trucking services for onward transportation to destinations in the Rockford area and warehousing facilities in Chicago.

The airport is also seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to handle live-animal shipments. Animal quarantine facilities are located approximately 40 miles from RFD.

"This new service is a direct result of our continued efforts to attract international freighter operators to Rockford, particularly the work we have undertaken to establish the airport as a leading cold chain corridor into the United States," said Zack Oakley, executive director of Chicago Rockford International Airport.

The service will also provide outbound cargo connections through Liège, where Challenge Group operates a network of approximately 1,500 truck movements per month, providing access to destinations across Europe and onward connections to India.

According to Challenge Group, the partnership could expand beyond the initial twice-weekly schedule as demand grows.

The announcement was made during the International Air Cargo Association's Air Cargo Forum in Miami, held Oct. 26-29.