#5: Kalitta Air ditches JFK, launches freighter services from smaller Stewart Airport
In May, U.S.-based ACMI and charter operator Kalitta Air launched new scheduled freighter services connecting Los Angeles International (LAX) to Stewart Airport (SWF), in support of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Beyond the increased capacity these services provide, the new flights’ routes demonstrate the growth of a trend that started earlier this year: air cargo providers are increasingly pursuing operations out of smaller and less-congested airports, rather than traditional regional gateways.
This is not the first time Kalitta has confronted the issue of slot congestion at airports. At the start of 2019, the ACMI and charter operator filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation against Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) regarding the withholding of slots by the airport. As of April, however, AMS approved its new local rule for airfreight with the intent to alleviate the effects of slot scarcity at the airport.