Kalitta Air

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Kalitta Air
IATA
K4		 ICAO
CKS		 Callsign
CONNIE
Founded 2000
Commenced operations November 2000
Hubs Newark International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Brussels International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Fleet size
Destinations Worldwide
Headquarters Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Key people Don Kalitta
Website: http://www.kalittaair.com

Kalitta Air is an American cargo airline based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. It operates international scheduled and ad-hoc cargo charter services. Its main base is Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

In 1967 Conrad "Connie" Kalitta began a business carrying car parts using a twin engine Cessna 310 that he piloted himself. Over the years this simple start blossomed into a major airline - American International Airways. AIA began flying in 1984 using Boeing 747, Lockheed L-1011, Douglas DC-8, Twin Beech and Learjet aircraft, for air freight, air ambulance and charter passenger operations. In 1990 and 1991 AIA flew 600 missions in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. They ultimately became one of the world’s 25 largest airlines.[citation needed]

In 1997, AIA merged with Kitty Hawk Inc. and Conrad Kalitta resigned to start Kalitta Leasing (buying, selling and leasing large aircraft). In April 2000, Kitty Hawk International (the former AIA) ceased operations. Kalitta decided to rescue it and the new airline, Kalitta Air, began operations in November 2000, using the operating certificate and assets of the former airline.

[edit] Destinations

Kalitta Air Boeing 747 landing at Schiphol
Kalitta Air Boeing 747 landing at Schiphol

The airline provides domestic and international scheduled or on-demand cargo service and support for the requirements of the Department of Defense Air Mobility Command.[2][3]

In January 2003, Kalitta Air announced the start of scheduled cargo flights from the US to Europe. The freighters on this service operate from EWR (Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, USA)[2] and ORD (O’Hare, Chicago, USA) to AMS (Schiphol, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and EMA (Nottingham East Midlands Airport, England). The airline flies scheduled cargo operations between the US and Hong Kong, US and Korea (for Asiana), Los Angeles and Honolulu . Additionally, airline operates ACMI charters for other airlines.[citation needed] Liège Airport is also used as a regular refueling stop on New York City - Middle East routes, and in the Caribbean Norman Manley International Airport

[edit] Fleet

As of May 2008 the Kalitta Air fleet includes :[citation needed]

Kalitta Air Fleet
Aircraft Total Notes
Boeing 747-100 5
Boeing 747-200 13 Aircraft with registration number N704CK destroyed in an accident at Brussels airport May 25 2008[2]
Boeing 747-400 2

[edit] Historical fleet of American International Airways

Fleet in 1997:[4]

[edit] Incidents

Boeing 747 N704CK at the end of the runway of Brussels Airport in 2008
Boeing 747 N704CK at the end of the runway of Brussels Airport in 2008

On October 20, 2004, Kalitta Air Boeing 747 (N709CK), with five crew members onboard, experienced mechanical difficulties with one of the four engines and diverted to land safely at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. No one was injured. It was discovered after landing that the number 1 engine had separated from the airplane as it climbed through 16,000 feet over Lake Michigan.[5] The engine was later recovered for inspection.

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict Kalitta Air made weapon resupply flights from the US to Israel, via Prestwick Airport in Scotland for refuelling, without authority from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Scotland's Crown Office considered, but eventually decided against, prosecuting Kalitta Air for two July 2006 flights carrying laser-guided bombs.[6][7]

On May 25, 2008, a Boeing 747-209F/SCD (N704CK serial number 22299/462)[8][9] from the company's fleet overran runway 20 at Brussels Airport. The plane broke in two and came to a complete stop in a field bordering the runway. There were four crew members and one passenger onboard and no injuries have been reported. [10][11] The aircraft was loaded with 76 tons of goods, half of it being diplomatic mail, and was supposed to take off to Bahrain.[12]

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-04-03, p. 99. 
  2. ^ a b c Aircraft Schedule. Kalitta Air. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
  3. ^ Contracts from the United States Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
  4. ^ North American Airlines Handbook, published 1997 by Airways International Inc.
  5. ^ Air Cargo Safety October 2004
  6. ^ America flouted law by flying bombs to Israel through Britain, Daily Mail, 7 October 2006
  7. ^ Prestwick Airport arms flights prosecution ruled out, UK Airport News, 28 November, 2006]
  8. ^ Airport-Data.com N704CK Profile
  9. ^ Airliners.net - Aviation Photo Search Engine
  10. ^ "Plane comes off Brussels runway", 25 May 2008. 
  11. ^ This article contains material that originally came from an NTSB website. According to their site usage guidelines, "Text appearing on NTSB Web pages, in reports, recommendation, and public dockets, unless otherwise noted, was prepared by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties and, therefore, is not subject to copyright." For more information, please review NTSB's use policies.
  12. ^ "Airplane breaks in two", 25 May 2008.