Wallace on Kalitta’s COVID-19 operations

• Jeff Lee
• March 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Podcast, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

For a cargo carrier like U.S.-based Kalitta Air, which specializes in ACMI and charter operations, the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing capacity crunch has resulted in extremely high fleet utilization, as shippers and forwarders have turned to freighter operators for help in flying their freight. Of course, one factor working in Kalitta’s favor is its […]

Kalitta sees record fleet utilization

• Jeff Lee
• March 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

U.S.-based ACMI and charter operator Kalitta Air is experiencing one of the highest fleet utilization rates in its history. As much of the passenger fleet around the world is parked in storage for at least the next couple of months to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, cargo carriers are benefiting from the ensuing […]

DHL to add five more 777Fs this year

• Jeff Lee
• February 24, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Express, News, Production Freighters

DHL Express has given an updated timeline of its 777F deliveries this year and expects to receive five more units before the end of 2020. The express integrator has already taken delivery of one 777F (66083) this year. Unit 66083, ferried from Paine Field (PAE) to Oscoda (OSC) on Feb. 6, was then brought to […]

DHL hands over first 777F to Kalitta

• Jeff Lee
• February 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Express, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

DHL Express has taken delivery of the first 777F that it will hand over to U.S.-based Kalitta Air to be operated on a CMI basis [FATs 005329-005330]. The aircraft (66083) was ferried from Paine Field (PAE) to Oscoda (OSC) on Feb. 6. Kalitta is the third CMI operator of 777Fs owned by DHL, and is also set […]

DHL to hand over more 777Fs to Kalitta

• Jeff Lee
• January 31, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Express, Production Freighters, Strategy

U.S.-based Kalitta Air will become the third CMI operator of 777Fs owned by DHL Express. The next 777F (66083) destined for delivery to DHL features the full yellow livery of the express integrator, with “Operated by Kalitta Air” featured near the cockpit windows, like 777Fs operated on a CMI basis by other carriers for DHL. Unit 66083 […]

Kalitta prepares for additional 777F flying

• Caryn Livingston
• January 30, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Equipment

U.S.-based carrier Kalitta Air has requested four weekly allocations for Singapore (SIN) to Hong Kong (HKG) cargo flights using 777-200 freighters on behalf of “a major freight forwarder.” Though the carrier has not yet returned a request for comment, the most likely customer for the service is DHL. DHL has not yet confirmed whether it […]

Kalitta converts freighter into pax configuration for Wuhan evacuation ops

• Charles Kauffman
• January 29, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News

Kalitta Air temporarily installed passenger seats on one of its 747-400Fs in order to evacuate more than 200 Americans from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the new coronavirus. The aircraft (26413, ex-Korean Air) was chartered by the U.S. State Department. At numerous MRO sites around the world, aircraft that previously operated in passenger configuration can […]

Kazakhstan’s Sigma adds country’s first 747F

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• January 3, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, News

Last week, a 747-200SF (23737, ex-Kalitta Air) landed at Shymkent (CIT) airport in Kazakhstan, on delivery to Sigma Airlines. The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan confirmed in early December that Sigma had registered the country’s first 747 freighter.   Previously, the aircraft had been operated by Kalitta Air, but had not been operated since December 2016. Kalitta confirmed to Cargo […]