Kalitta Air

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Kalitta Air
250px
IATA ICAO Callsign
K4 CKS CONNIE
Founded
  • 1967 (as American International Airways)
  • 2000 (current name)
Hubs Newark Liberty International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Bahrain International Airport
Fleet size 15 (plus 27 stored)
Destinations 25 (scheduled)
Headquarters Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, USA
Key people Conrad Kalitta
Website www.kalittaair.com

Kalitta Air is an American cargo airline headquartered in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan.[1][2] It operates international scheduled and ad-hoc cargo charter services. Its main base is Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti.[3]

History

In 1967 Conrad "Connie" Kalitta began a business carrying car parts using a twin engine Cessna 310 that he piloted. It became American International Airways. AIA started 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.

During the late 1980s, the Kalitta brand name continued to appear on many of the company's cargo aircraft. In 1990 and 1991, AIA flew 600 missions in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Kalitta Douglas DC-9 freighter at Detroit Willow Run in 1989

In 1997, AIA merged with Kitty Hawk Inc. and Conrad Kalitta resigned to start Kalitta Leasing for 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.

Kalitta Air operates a large repair facility at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Iosco County, Michigan, United States.

Kalitta Air headquarters

Media appearances

For the 1997 film Air Force One, the producers rented one of Kalitta's Boeing 747 aircraft and repainted it to replicate the iconic Air Force One livery. [4]

The TV program Mythbusters featured one of Kalitta's Boeing 747s (tail number N700CK) in Episode 90: "Supersized Myths”, that originally aired on November 14, 2007. In this myth the build team revisited the myth of "Jet Taxi", the story of a taxi that got stuck behind a jet taking off resulting in the taxi flipping over due to the jet blast. This myth was found to be confirmed, in that a jet could flip a taxi as well as a school bus and a light aircraft. Mythbusters featured another Kalitta Air 747 in the Episode "Storm Chasing Myths" that originally aired on October 13, 2010.

A Kalitta Air 747 was used to transport prestigious and exotic cars used on the 2014 Gumball 3000 rally from JFK Airport in New York to Prestwick Airport in Glasgow for the European leg of the rally.

The 2015 World Rallycross Championship broadcasts feature a Kalitta 747-222B (tail number N793CK)[5] carrying the competitors' cars for GAC, logistics provider for that championship.[6]

Destinations

Kalitta Air Boeing 747 landing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Kalitta Air, Boeing 747-200 departing from Brussels Airport

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.[7][8]

In January 2003, Kalitta Air announced the start of scheduled cargo flights from the United States to Europe. The freighters on this service operate from JFK (John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, USA) EWR (Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, USA)[7] and ORD (O’Hare, Chicago, USA) to AMS (Schiphol, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and EMA (East Midlands Airport, England). The airline flies scheduled cargo operations between the U.S. and Hong Kong, U.S. and Germany (Leipzig/Halle Airport), U.S. and Korea (for Asiana), Los Angeles and Honolulu. Additionally, the 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.

As of December 2012, Kalitta Air served the following destinations on a regular, scheduled basis:[9]

Afghanistan
Argentina
Bahrain
Belgium
Egypt
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Italy
Latvia
Netherlands
Pakistan
Russia
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Panama
United Kingdom

Fleet

As of November 2015, the Kalitta Air fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[12]

Kalitta Air fleet
Aircraft Active Stored Notes
Boeing 747-200F [13] 5 27 Many jets currently being used for spares stored at Oscoda, MI.
Boeing 747-400BCF 6 — Two operated for DHL Express and painted in hybrid Kalitta/DHL livery
Boeing 747-400ERF 1 —
Boeing 747-400F 3 —
Total 15 [14] [15] 27

Historical fleet of American International Airways

Fleet in 1997:[16]

Incidents and accidents

N714CK taking off from Schiphol (2006-08-14). This frame would be destroyed less than a year later in a crash in Colombia.
N704CK after an incident at Brussels Airport 2008
  • On August 18, 1993, an American International Airways, Inc. Douglas DC-8-61 (N814CK), with three crew members on board struck level terrain 1,400 feet west of the approach end of the runway while landing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The aircraft approached from the south and was making a right turn for runway 10 with an increasing angle of bank in order to align with the runway. At 200–300 feet AGL the wings started to rock towards wings level and the nose pitched up. The right wing appeared to stall, the aircraft rolled to 90-degree angle of bank and the nose pitched down. Probable cause of the accident attributed primarily to the impaired judgment, decision-making, and flying abilities of the captain and flight crew due to the effects of fatigue resulting from extended flight/duty hours.[17]
  • On October 20, 2004, a Kalitta Air Boeing 747 (N709CK), with five crew members on board, 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.[18] The engine was later recovered for inspection.
  • File:Boeing 747 crash bxl.jpg
    Boeing 747 N704CK at the end of the runway of Brussels Airport in 2008
    On May 25, 2008, a Boeing 747-209F/SCD (N704CK serial number 22299/462)[21][22] from the company's fleet overran runway 20 at Brussels Airport. The plane broke in three and came to a complete stop in a field bordering the runway. There were four crew members and one passenger on board, and no injuries were reported.[23][24] The aircraft destined for Bahrain International Airport was loaded with 76 tons of goods, half of which was diplomatic mail.[25] Belgian investigators announced that the accident was caused by the decision to Reject the Take-Off 12 knots after passing V1 speed.[26][27] The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport had investigated the accident.[28]
  • On July 7, 2008, a Boeing 747-209B (N714CK serial number 22446/519), crashed shortly after departing from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá at 3:55 a.m. The plane was en route to Miami, Florida, with a shipment of flowers. After reporting a fire in the number 4 engine, the plane attempted the return to the airport. However, after engine number 1 failed as well, the airframe, down two engines, could not maintain sufficient altitude and crashed near the village of Madrid, Colombia. The plane's empennage hit a ranch house, killing a 50-year-old man and his 13-year-old son who lived there (a report of this crash on Airdisaster.com indicated a third fatality on the ground). The flight deck separated from the remainder of the aircraft, and the crew of eight survived with light to serious injuries while the rest of the airframe was consumed by fire.[29][30][31][32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Township Map." Ypsilanti Township. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Welcome to Kalitta Air." Kalitta Air. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Boeing/747/23736,N793CK-Kalitta-Air.php
  6. ↑ http://gac.com/gacen/news_show.aspx?id=59818
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kalitta routes
  10. ↑ http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus/flightStatusByFlight.do?id=639086445&airline=K4&flightNumber=161&departureDate=2015-12-04
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Kalitta Air fleet ch-aviation.ch
  13. ↑ https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Kalitta-Air
  14. ↑ https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Kalitta-Air
  15. ↑ http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Kalitta%20Air.htm
  16. ↑ North American Airlines Handbook, published 1997 by Airways International Inc.
  17. ↑ Aviation Safety Network
  18. ↑ Air Cargo Safety October 2004
  19. ↑ America flouted law by flying bombs to Israel through Britain, Daily Mail, 7 October 2006
  20. ↑ Prestwick Airport arms flights prosecution ruled out, UK Airport News, 28 November 2006
  21. ↑ Airport-Data.com N704CK Profile
  22. ↑ Airliners.net – Aviation Photo Search Engine
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ "FINAL REPORT ON THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON 25 MAY 2008 AT BRUSSELS AIRPORT ON A BOEING B747-209F REGISTERED N704CK." (Archive) FPS Transport Belgium. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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