Kalitta Air
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| Founded | 2000 | |||
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| Hubs | Newark Liberty International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Hong Kong International Airport Bahrain International Airport |
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| Fleet size | 24 (plus 8 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, United States.[1][2] It operates international scheduled and ad-hoc cargo charter services. Its main base is Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti.[3]
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[edit] 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.
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.
[edit] Media appearances
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. Mythbusters featured another Kalitta Air 747 in the Episode "Storm Chasing Myths" that originally aired on October 13, 2010.
[edit] Destinations
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.[4][5]
In January 2003, Kalitta Air announced the start of scheduled cargo flights from the US 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)[4] 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 US and Hong Kong, US and Germany (Leipzig/Halle Airport), 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.
As of September 2010, Kalitta Air serves the following destinations on a regular, scheduled basis:[6]
- Calgary - Calgary International Airport
- Montreal - Montreal Dorval International Airport
- Toronto - Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Vancouver - Vancouver International Airport
- Anchorage - Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- Chicago - O'Hare International Airport
- Cincinnati - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Columbus - Rickenbacker International Airport
- Honolulu - Honolulu International Airport
- Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport
- Hartford - Bradley International Airport
- Newark - Liberty International Airport
- New York City - John F. Kennedy International Airport
[edit] Fleet
As of January 2011, the Kalitta Air fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 27.3 years:[7]
| Aircraft | Active | Stored |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-200 | 17 | 7 |
| Boeing 747-400BCF | 6 | 1 |
| Boeing 747-400ERF | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 24 | 9 |
[edit] Historical fleet of American International Airways
Fleet in 1997:[8]
- 2 – Boeing 727-100F
- 13 – Boeing 727-200F
- 8 – Douglas DC-8-50F
- 5 – Douglas DC-8-61F
- 4 – Douglas DC-8-62F
- 2 – Douglas DC-8-63F
- 2 – Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar in all coach passenger configuration seating 354
- 6 – Lockheed L-1011-200F TriStar
- 2 – Boeing 747–100 in all coach passenger configuration seating 476
- 3 – Boeing 747-100F
- 3 – Boeing 747-200F
[edit] Incidents
- On August 18, 1993, a Kalitta Air Douglas DC-8-61 (N814CK), with three crew members on board struck level terrain 1400 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.[9]
- 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.[10] 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 refueling, 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.[11][12]
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On May 25, 2008, a Boeing 747-209F/SCD (N704CK serial number 22299/462)[13][14] 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.[15][16] The aircraft was loaded with 76 tons of goods, half of it being diplomatic mail, and was destined for Bahrain International Airport.[17] Belgian investigators announced that the accident was caused by the decision to Reject the Take-Off 12 knots after passing V1 speed.[18][19] The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport had investigated the accident.[20]
Boeing 747 N704CK at the end of the runway of Brussels Airport in 2008
- 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 am. The plane was en route to Miami, Florida, with a shipment of flowers. After reporting a fire in one of the engines, the plane attempted the return to the airport but 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 crew of eight survived with light to serious injuries.[21][22][23]
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- ^ "Township Map." Ypsilanti Township. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
- ^ "Welcome to Kalitta Air." Kalitta Air. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 99. 2007-04-03.
- ^ a b "Aircraft Schedule". Kalitta Air. http://www.kalittaair.com/Schedule.asp. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ "Contracts from the United States Department of Defense". http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4642817/Contracts-from-the-United-States.html. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ Kalitta Air online timetable
- ^ Kalitta Air fleet list at planespotters.net
- ^ North American Airlines Handbook, published 1997 by Airways International Inc.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network
- ^ Air Cargo Safety October 2004
- ^ America flouted law by flying bombs to Israel through Britain, Daily Mail, 7 October 2006
- ^ Prestwick Airport arms flights prosecution ruled out, UK Airport News, 28 November 2006
- ^ Airport-Data.com N704CK Profile
- ^ Airliners.net – Aviation Photo Search Engine
- ^ "Plane comes off Brussels runway". 25 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7419280.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
- ^
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board. - ^ "Airplane breaks in two". 25 May 2008. http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie.english/news/1.311720.
- ^ "Post-V1 abort after bird-strike destroyed Kalitta 747F". December 23, 2008. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/23/320500/post-v1-abort-after-bird-strike-destroyed-kalitta-747f.html.
- ^ "Final report on the accident occurred on 25 may 2008 at brussels airport on a boeing b747-209f registered n704ck". 10 July 2009. http://www.mobilit.fgov.be/data/aero/accidents/AA-8-5.pdf.
- ^ "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 16 January 2012.
- ^ "US cargo plane crashes into Colombian house, 3 dead". AFP. 2008-07-07. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jpxEvFKTQrHypeau2Va_YnnF3HGg. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
- ^ "US plane crashes into Colombian house". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2008-07-08. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/us-plane-crashes-into-colombian-house/2008/07/08/1215282783048.html. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "2 die as cargo jet crashes in Colombia". Associated Press. 2008-07-07. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gezVXVwxY0H1FRB1F3HsbNdXibSgD91PCC480. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
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