CAL CARGO AIRLINES, LTD.: 11 Galgale Haplada Strete, Her-zlia, 46722, Israel; Phone 972 (9) 952-6666; Fax 972 (9) 951-3232; Code ICL; Year Founded 1976. This carrier is established in June 1976 by the Israeli Agricultural Board (Agrexco) and labor organizations to provide perishable goods transport to Europe, with general cargo on the return trip. The organization is the result of a government compromise between Agrexco and El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd. and requires CAL to lease its aircraft from the state airline. A Boeing 747-258F is thus acquired and begins revenue flights, with a Tel Aviv-Cologne operation undertaken on November 2. Airline employment in 1978 is 25 and the fleet grows to comprise 2 leased 747-258Fs and 1 Douglas DC-8-63F.
In 1979-1980, routes are extended to London, Brussels, Cologne, Rome, Amsterdam, and other Western European cities. The fleet remains the same, but services are also opened throughout the Middle East. The workforce is doubled to 50. FTKs operated in the latter year total 110,852. That number falls by 3.6% in 1981 to 107,000.
The carrier’s B-747-258F operates 148.92 million FTKs in 1982, a dip of 4.7%. The 50-employee freighter shows renewed strength in 1983 as the number of FTKs flown climbs 29.5% to 132.24 million.
Operations continue apace with little fanfare over the next decade. Ownership is now divided between the Organization of Agricultural Cooperatives and the Production and Marketing Boards of Ornamental Plants, Fruits, and Vegetables.
The automobile dealer Goldberg Leo, Ltd. contracts with the company in 1991 to import Opel cars from Cologne on its return flights from Germany. BMW and Volkswagen autos will also be flown.
In 1993-1998, President S. Nelkin’s 65-employee airline flies a leased B-747-258F on high-frequency services to Bonn, Cologne, and Amsterdam.
The continuing prohibition against flights by El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd. on the Jewish Sabbath brings a government investigation of alleged violations early 1999. After El Al publishes advertisements claiming it is being discriminated against because of the no-fly rule, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Yahalom receives complaints that the flag carrier has been transporting cargo to Europe on the Sabbath using flight numbers of privately owned CAL Cargo, to which it leases aircraft. These charges come just days before Yahalom is to decide whether or not to follow an earlier special panel recommendation to grant CAL its own license to fly in competition with El Al.
In an attempt to thwart El Al’s efforts to block it from getting its own license to fly scheduled freight operations, CAL Cargo offers a Shabbat compromise on February 9; in return for authority, it will respect the status quo and not launch new flights on the Jewish Sabbath.
Freight operations continue apace into 2000. In April, an Airbus A300-600F is wet-leased fomr Brussels-based City Bird, S. A.
CAL-NAT AIRWAYS: United States (1967-1969). Cal-Nat is set up at Grass Valley, California, in 1967 to provide scheduled lightplane mail services to Los Angeles, Mojave, Fresno, and Palm Springs. Operations last only two years.
CAL-NEVAAIR: United States (1966-1967). Cal-Neva is established at San Jose, California, in the summer of 1967 to provide scheduled and passenger commuter flights on local routes out of the city. Beginning on September 1, de Havilland DH 104 Dove service is flown, but lasts less than a year.
CAL SIERRA AIRLINES: United States (1980-1981). Employing a Convair CV-440, Cal Sierra launches scheduled passenger and cargo flights on December 18, 1980 between its San Diego base and Burbank and Lake Tahoe. ATC restrictions occasioned by the PATCO air traffic controllers’ strike during the summer of 1981 cause severe fiscal difficulties and the company goes out of business in December.
CAL-STATE AIRLINES: United States (1968-1970). Cal-State is set up at Long Beach, California, in the fall of 1968 to offer scheduled passenger and cargo commuter services to Santa Barbara and Fresno via Los Angeles and Bakersfield. Beech 99 flights commence on November 11 and continue until the company goes out of business in May 1970.
CAL-WEST AIRLINES: United States (1988-1989). C-W is founded at Concord, California, in spring 1988 to offer scheduled passenger and cargo services to Bakersfield. Dean Hanson is named managing director. Initial plans call for a fleet of 3 Piper T-1040s, but instead, the new small regional acquires a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain.
Revenue services commence in February 1989. Unable to establish economic viability, the carrier closes down before year’s end.
CALASIA AIRLINES: United States (1945-1947). One of many allfreight operations established by returning World War II airmen, Calasia (the name is a play on its California and Asian gateways), employing a surplus Douglas C-54, inaugurates transpacific charters in the fall of 1945.
Service can only be maintained for two years and ends in 1947.
World History
