Kalitta Air (K4, Detroit Willow Run) has started basing its only B777-F out of Germany's Leipzig/Halle airport, the key European hub for its customer DHL Express, the cargo carrier has confirmed to Cargo Facts.

Kalitta has been operating the ex-Emirates (EK, Dubai International) freighter on domestic services in the US supporting DHL's Cincinnati International hub between July 30 and August 31 before ferrying the twinjet to Leipzig/Halle. The aircraft will reportedly remain based in Germany until at least January 2020 and operate from there to Hong Kong International, via either Bahrain International or Delhi International.

DHL also uses Kalitta B747-400(F) and B767-300F capacity with eight Kalitta B767 freighters being deployed on the domestic network in the US and B747s used to support DHL's international operations. Kalitta is in the process of obtaining ETOPS approval for its B777-F to also allow it to operate it across the Pacific.

Besides the B767s and the B777 operating for DHL, according to ch-aviation fleets Kalitta also operates twenty-four B747-400 freighters operating on own scheduled flights, for the United States Air Force, Turkish Airlines, Apex Logistics, and Pacific Air Cargo.