Kalitta Air

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Kalitta Air is an international 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]

1 Code data
2 History
3 Services
4 Incidents and accidents
5 Fleet
6 Trivia
7 See also
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Code data

IATA Code: K4
ICAO Code: CKS
Callsign: Connie ^[2]

[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. ^[1]

[edit] Services

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.^{[citation needed]}

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 International Airport, New York, USA) 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. Additionally, airline operates ACMI charters for other airlines.^{[citation needed]}

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 is considering prosecuting Kalitta Air for two July 2006 flights carrying laser-guided bombs. ^[3]

[edit] Incidents and accidents

20 October 2004 - Kalitta Air Boeing 747 (N709CK), on a flight from Chicago to New York, with five crew members onboard, experienced mechanical difficulties with one of the four engines and returned to land safely at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. No one was injured. It is believed that one of the four engines separated from the airplane while in flight over Lake Michigan. ^[4] The engine was later recovered for inspection.

[edit] Fleet

As of August 2006 the Kalitta Air fleet includes ^[5] :

Since their startup with three Boeing 747 aircraft, thirteen more Boeing 747 have been added.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Trivia

The producers of the movie Air Force One leased an actual Boeing 747-200 from Kalitta Air and painted it in the Air Force One livery. During filming at several airports, the aircraft was mistaken for an actual Air Force VC-25. The most obvious difference between the aircraft used for filming and an actual VC-25 was the lack of a hump in front of the cockpit that in the real thing, contains the aerial refueling receptacle.^{[citation needed]}
Conrad Kalitta (the owner of Kalitta Air) has been very successful in the sport of drag racing in the top-fuel class of the NHRA. He does not currently race but remains heavily involved in the sport. In 1992 he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in the USA.^{[citation needed]}