Kalitta Air
Categories: Airlines of the United States
Kalitta Air is an international cargo airline.
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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 L1011, Douglas DC8, 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 (the US military name for the operation to remove Sadam Hussein from Kuwait). They ultimately became one of the world’s 25 largest airlines.
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.
Operations
The company is based at Willow Run airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Since their startup with three Boeing 747 aircraft, eleven more Boeing 747 have been added. The company provides domestic and international scheduled or on-demand cargo service and support for the requirements of the Department of Defense Air Mobility Command.
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.
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.
Livery
The cheat line is brown, flanked by two red lines, running from the plane's nose to the tip of the fin. The airline name Kalitta Air is in black halfway along the fuselage, flanked by wing symbols.
Pictures of Kalitta Air aircraft can be found online, like here.
Fleet
- 14 Boeing 747F with registrations between N701CK and N717CK
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 the actual VC-25 was the lack of a hump in front of the cockpit that in the real thing, contains the aerial refueling receptacle.
Destinations
World-wide
External links
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