Kalitta Air optimizes cargo operations using Jeppesen Crew Planning and Aircraft Routing solution

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Last year Kalitta Air, a leading U.S.-based cargo operator, began using Boeing’s Jeppesen Aircraft Routing, Crew Pairing, and Crew Rostering solutions via Lines Generation. The integration of these digital tools has enabled Kalitta to increase operational efficiency and revenue, while planning and operating crew schedules for up to three times as many 747 flights as they did a year ago–all in a fraction of the time previously required.

“The goal of this project has been to quickly get quality assignment options for our crew members to bid on, as well as save time and money,” said Ashley Phibbs, project manager at Kalitta Air. “Prior to acquiring Jeppesen crew solutions from Boeing, it took multiple employees seven days to compile the bid package, now one employee can do it in a few days. We are very pleased with the results!”

As a cargo operator, Kalitta does not have set crew bases like the many commercial airline operators who use these solutions. This posed a unique challenge for Boeing’s crew planning implementation specialists who needed to configure the solutions to meet requirements specific to this customer’s operating model.

“Working with Kalitta has been a wonderful experience,” said Luciana Dellasoppa, Boeing project manager for Jeppesen solutions. “They have a truly agile mindset. Throughout the implementation, we collaborated and adjusted the configuration to ensure it met their needs. The flexibility of the products enabled us to easily introduce virtual crew bases to deliver optimal pairings and increased efficiency for this cargo operator.”

Trusted aircraft routing was also an essential element to building efficient crew pairings and was the cornerstone to successful implementation. The ability to consider operational and commercial constraints from the customer’s individual cargo contracts is enabling earlier development of operational plans and resulting in fewer operational changes, further stabilizing operations.

Congratulations to all involved in the successful implementation of Jeppesen Crew Planning and Aircraft Routing solutions for Kalitta Air, demonstrating that these digital tools have the flexibility to adapt to different operating models to deliver tangible optimization benefits and value for commercial and cargo operators alike.