To which African airline was former Kalitta Boeing 727 freighter delivered to ?
A former Kalitta Charters Boeing 727 freighter has been ferried from the United States to the African country of Chad at the end of May. The aircraft was sold to an as-yet unidentified operator. At May 30 the registration was cancelled in the US-register which indicates that at or just before that date the final destination was reached.
Previously stored in Oscoda, Michigan, the aircraft—registered N726CK (construction number 21951)—was readied for its transatlantic journey. On May 25, it departed for Gander, Canada, still wearing full Kalitta Charter livery, though with the titles removed. Following a brief fuel stop, the aircraft continued the same day to Santa Maria in the Azores, and then on to Dakar, Senegal.
On May 28, the aircraft flew to Accra, Ghana. The following day, it departed Accra on a northeasterly course, appearing to head for N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. Flightradar24 tracking data was lost approximately 250 kilometers from N’Djamena, suggesting a likely landing there, though not confirmed due to poor tracking coverage in the region—especially for older aircraft like the Boeing 727.
Speculation has circulated on Facebook that the buyer may be Astral Aviation, based in Kenya. However, sources with connections to the company have reportedly denied any involvement in this transaction. As the second aircraft went to Chad the new owner is not Astral Aviation.
According to available information, the buyer acquired three Boeing 727s from Kalitta Charter. Of these, N726CK is expected to be used for spare parts, while N729CK and N725CK will be operated for cargo flights. However, the exact base of these future operations remains unknown.
The FAA registration database shows the aircraft was deregistered at May 30, 2025 and exported to Malawi! Skyliner-aviation reports the aircraft flew from Accra to BLZ which is Chileka International Airport in Malawi.
That is interesting as the Flightradar24 track and the ADSBexchange shows the aircraft flew towards Chad. Which is in a totally different direction than to Malawi.
The fact that the aircraft was deregistered from the FAA register while being parked at N’Djamena means the aircraft has reached its final destination. N729CK continued to Rand near Johannesburg.
Only time will tell where and how these aging freighters will be deployed.
Photo made by NR via Aeroporto de Santa Maria Facebook Group
