CONRAD KALITTA HAS sold a majority interest in the former MGM Grand Air to charter operator Front Page Tours, which will operate the airline as Champion Air. Kalitta, which purchased the assets of MGM Grand Air from billionaire Kirk Kerkorian in December 1994, will retain a 20% stake in Los-Angeles-based Champion.
MGM Grand Air's three McDonnell Douglas DC-8s and three luxury-configured Boeing 727s were sold to American International Airways, a Kalitta company, which is leasing one of the DC-8s and one of the 727s, plus two other normally configured 727-200s, back to Champion and providing maintenance support.
Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Front Page Tours specialises in sports-team transport and plans to use Champion Air to develop additional international and domestic charter passenger business, says majority shareholder Richard Page.
Source: Flight International
