KITTY HAWK INTERNATIONAL: United States (1999-2000).

Create a more unified image among its operating units, Kitty Hawk, Inc., on February 3, 1999, creates four new divisions. Among these is KHI, which is the renamed American International Airways (3). The new division, which will continue to operate out of its Michigan base, will fly 19 Stage Ill-prepared cargo jetliners: 7 B-747-200s, 6 L-1011s, and 6 DC-8s under ACMI leases and scheduled flights. Ten older DC-8Fs, which are not being modified to meet noise standards, will be removed from the fleet by the end of the year.

While en route from Los Angeles to Indianapolis at 33,000 ft. over Kansas on March 2, a Kitty Hawk L-1011F with three crew, comes within 100 ft. of a Federal Express (FedEx) DC-10F en route from Portland, Oregon, to Memphis. According to a report in The Washington Post two days later, both aircraft had apparently lost radio contract with the Kansas City ATC center.

On March 19, Kitty Hawk Air Cargo reaches a settlement with Pacific Aviation Logistics, Inc. whereby it acquires PAL’s 40% interest in KHI, held since the earlier takeover of American International Airways (3). In announcing the arrangement, Chairman/CEO

M. Tom Christopher indicates that Kitty Hawk will pay PAL and its owner, Ms. Beti Ward, $2.35 million over the next three years at 9.98% interest.

Even as reparations continue apace for the retirement of the Stage II DC-8s, a new overnight heavy freight hub is opened at Fort Wayne. After two years of negotiation, an agreement is signed with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for this division’s flight crews.

Two new weekly long-haul B-747 roundtrips routes are opened on September 22. The first, requiring three days, takes its Jumbojet freighter from New York (JFK) to Hong Kong and back via Fort Wayne, Los Angeles (LAX), Honolulu, and Melbourne, Australia. The second, also taking three days, is operated from New York (JFK) to Hong Kong via Fort Wayne, Los Angeles, and Guam.

Also during September and in support of the C-Net USPS contract, eight daily B-747F roundtrips are flown every week between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

D. C. “Pete” Sanderlin succeeds Charles C. Carson as vice presi-dent/general manager of Kitty Hawk International on November 16.

On November 19, Flight 873, a company L-1011, delivers the BMW Z8 roadster used in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough from Fort Wayne to Los Angeles in time for its offloading to be captured in a live feed by the television series Entertainment Tonight.

In support of the C-Net USPS contract between November 20 and December 30, a B-747 and DC-8 mount daily roundtrip mail runs from Honolulu to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.

On January 1, 2000, Kitty Hawk International has just 6 DC-8s, but all are Stage III noise compliant. It also flies 6 L-1011Fs and 7 B-747Fs, including 1 each Dash-146F, Dash-121F, and Dash-132F and 2 each Dash-269BFs and Dash-2B4BFs. All wear blue tail stripes, except one, which is painted all-white and wears the logo of the Willow Run-based air charter management concern Pathfinder Air Resources on its tail. That Jumbojet operates roundtrips to Birmingham, England, and Os-tend, Belgium, transporting parts for General Motors.

During takeoff from Seattle on a February 19 service to Anchorage, Flight 8102, a DC-8-63F with five crew, loses its No. 1 and 2 engine cowlings that requires a return to the ground. Although none of the crew or any persons on the ground are injured, the aircraft sustains substantial damage to its left wing and horizontal stabilizer.

On May 1, the Kitty Hawk parent declares Chapter XI bankruptcy, blaming its situation on a number of factors not the least of which are higher fuel bills and the need to purchase expensive hush-kits for the L-1011s. The Ypsilanti-based international division, formerly American International Airways, is now shut down. Gemini Air Cargo and Evergreen International Airlines are able to pick up some of the mail that Kitty Hawk International is no longer in a position to fly.

AirlinersOnline. Com reports on July 30 that former AIA owner Conrad (“Connie”) Kalitta may repurchase title to the airline, along with a single B-747-200F with which to resume operations. It is reported on August 21 that the operating certificate of Kitty Hawk International has indeed been sold to former director Kalitta, together with one or two Jumbojet freighters. Plans call for a restart of services, under the name Kitty Hawk Air, before the end of the year.

On November 13, Connie Kalitta’s purchase, now renamed Kalitta Air, is found fit by the DOT to start all-cargo charter operations. Flights will begin with three B-747F (one each Dash-132F, Dash-146F, and Dash-269BF) which, by November 29, have been painted in the old American International Airways color scheme, minus titles. The old Kitty Hawk International B-747-121F has been purchased for spare parts.