Emirates taps Kalitta Air to fly rented 747 freighters

The air cargo division of Emirates has temporarily augmented its fleet with two older Boeing 747 jumbo jet freighters to meet expected demand while it waits for manufacturers to fill orders for new aircraft, the Dubai-based airline said Monday. The 747-400s are being wet leased — a rental bundled with crews that fly the aircraft — and are currently being deployed to Chicago three times weekly and to Hong Kong nine times weekly. Emirates did not identify who is providing the transportation service on its behalf, but a source with direct knowledge of the company's operations said Michigan-based Kalitta Air…