Kalitta Air
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kalitta Air
Ka logo red JPG.jpg
IATA
K4 ICAO
CKS Callsign
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 14 (plus 3 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]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Media appearances
3 Destinations
4 Fleet
5 Historical fleet of American International Airways
6 Incidents and accidents
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
History[edit]
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[edit]
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.
Destinations[edit]
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.[4][5]
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)[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 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
