Boeing 737-800BCF

2016 was a stable year for Calumet, yet management felt uneasy about the future. The Quarter 3 results noted that airlines seemed to be moving away from Calumet in favor of other regional airlines, and their independent operations were losing profits with each year. In order to provide more revenue to the airline a plan was devised to start operating cargo aircraft.

In 2018, the first of the five 737-800BCFs arrived at the airline and began operating on a charter basis. Around that same time a partnership between DHL and Calumet was announced and it was agreed that 3 737s would operate exclusively for DHL.

The cargo operations were a modest success. It turned a steady profit and the partnership with DHL would help more. What cargo operations didn't do for Calumet, however, was flatten the tumbling financial results. The airline was still losing money and they would not be prepared for the coming disaster that would unfold within the next few years.