Tag Archives: 747-251B

Baltia Air Lines enters Phase III of the FAA Air Carrier Certification

Baltia Air Lines (Ypsilanti-Willow Run) has been documenting each step of its long FAA Part 121 certification process. The proposed airline was planning to operate from the United States to the Baltic region, especially St. Petersburg, Russia with a former Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-251B (N706BL, msn 21705). However given the current tensions with Russia over the Ukraine, that business plan may be evolving as this press release now only mentions Europe. The prospective airline has issued this update:

Baltia Air Lines (BLTA) announced on October 10 that it has entered into Phase III of the FAA Air Carrier Certification.

Phase III consists of the Table Top Exercise, Mini-Evacuation Demonstration, and Proving Flights. “Passing through Phase II was a major accomplishment in the Certification Process,” stated Sheryle Milligan, Chief of Operations.

Baltia Air Lines is America’s newest airline, currently undergoing Air Carrier Certification. Baltia’s principal base of operations is at Willow Run Airport, Michigan. Upon Certification, Baltia will operate Boeing 747 aircraft across the Atlantic, from the U.S. nonstop to Europe.

This service is subject to receipt of government operating authority.

Photo: Baltia Air Lines.

Baltia Air Lines is still in the FAA certification process

Baltia Air Lines (Ypisilanti) has been one of the longest-running start-ups in U.S. aviation history. The company acquired former Northwest Airlines/Kalitta Air Boeing 747-251B N706BL (msn 21705) on December 9, 2010 and has been proposing scheduled airline service from New York (JFK) to the Baltic region, especially St. Petersburg, Russia for several years. With the invasion of Crimea by Russia, is this route still viable for tourism?

Route Map: A previously proposed route map.

Each step in the certification process has been well documented by the upstart. Here is the latest press release:

Baltia Air Lines announced yesterday (April 4) that its Boeing 747 aircraft has entered scheduled maintenance inspection in preparation for its operations. Baltia is America’s newest airline currently undergoing air carrier certification. Baltia’s base of operations is at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

On their website, the company describes itself:

Baltia Air Lines, Inc. (BLTA) is a New York corporation headquartered at JFK International Airport in New York with a base of operations at Willow Run Airport outside of Detroit, Michigan. Baltia’s goal is to become the leading U.S. airline in the trans-Atlantic market between the major U.S. cities and capital cities of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Baltia will provide high quality three-class passenger service, and reliable cargo and mail transportation.

All images courtesy of Baltia Air Lines.

Northwest Airlines agrees to price fixing

NWA Cargo (Northwest Airlines) Boeing 747-251B (F) N632NW (msn 23112) ANC (Michael B. Ing), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Northwest Airlines-NWA (Minneapolis/St. Paul), now merged into Delta Air Lines (Atlanta), has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $38 million fine for conspiring to fix cargo prices according to this report by Reuters.

Read the full report:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Now gone, NWA Cargo’s Boeing 747-251B (F) N632NW (msn 23112) climbs gracefully at Anchorage.

Delta to phase out the Northwest brand in 2010

Please click on photo for full view and caption.

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is quickly repainting the Northwest Airlines-NWA fleet, changing signage and issuing Delta uniforms to NW flight crews. The Northwest brand will be gone by the end of 2010.

Watch for a special salute to the history of Northwest Airlines this summer in the Airliners Gallery digital photo library. Click on the photo for a sample and then search on “Northwest” (many more photos coming).