Homecoming: Supporting the DTJ: Thank you for taking the time to chat today. Kalitta Air was involved in Repatriation of US Citizens Amid supporting the government’s response very early in the COVID-19 outbreak. Specifi- the COVID-19 Pandemic cally, you played a critical role in repatriat- ing US citizens from overseas for the State An interview with Pete Sanderlin, Chief Operating Officer, Kalitta Air, LLC, and Department. Can you give us a little back- Heath Nicholl, Senior Vice President & Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Kalitta Air, LLC ground on your work with them? By Sharon Lo, Managing Editor, DTJ & The Source HEATH NICHOLL: We have a relation- ship with Phoenix Air Group and the State Department’s op med group [Bureau of Medical Services Directorate of Opera- tional Medicine]. We’ve worked with them in the past. In particular, we worked with t the onset of the CO- monumental challenge of bringing these them in carriage of their biocontainment VID-19 pandemic, global Americans home. With the dedicated sup- units that go inside a 747 aircraft. travel came to a near-total port of their commercial industry partners, During the Ebola outbreak, the US standstill, effectively strand- they were able to meet that challenge. government and other private sources de- ing tens of thousands of To hear more about what it was like to veloped a containerized biocontainment USA citizens abroad. In close coordination carry out this unprecedented mission to system [CBCS] that would fit into either with the Centers for Disease Control and bring home and repatriate thousands of military aircraft or a 747. We performed ex- Prevention and the Department of Health US citizens from every corner of the globe, ercises into West Africa, to those the coun- and Human Services, the State Depart- DTJ sat down with Kalitta Air’s Pete Sand- tries that had large Ebola outbreaks, trans- ment was responsible for meeting the erlin and Heath Nicholl. porting simulated patients to infectious www.ndtahq.com | 19 disease centers within the US. So, we’ve had a lot of hard surfaces that are much easier the same methodology when the COVID quite a bit of experience with them. to decontaminate after each mission. We call came in, and especially when there also had a contract with a cleaning com- were US citizens involved. PETE SANDERLIN: We’ve been doing pany that specializes in critical environ- that about seven years, well before COV- ments and performing decontaminations PETE SANDERLIN: We were one of the ID. Even though we never carried patients in places such as hospitals, biological labs, first carriers involved in these missions. on the Ebola front, we did provide support as a carrier for over 40 missions carrying PPE [personal protective equipment], medical supplies, and everything else into We also had a contract with a cleaning company that specializes in critical West Africa. environments and performing decontaminations in places such as hospitals, DTJ: What was it like when you got that biological labs, and, of course, our aircraft. Typically, they would fly with us and initial call from State requesting COVID then each time we brought passengers back to the US, they would go to work response support? I imagine you had a lot sterilizing and decontaminating the airplane before it went on a second mission. to do to prepare your aircraft. And that’s where the 747 freighter was an ideal candidate for this type of work. HEATH NICHOLL: I think the official notification came in over the weekend from our counterparts over at Depart- ment of State. They called us and asked and, of course, our aircraft. Typically, they You asked about our crews having con- how quickly we could get a 747 outfitted would fly with us and then each time we cerns, but our crews are very patriotic, in order to repatriate passengers. With brought passengers back to the US, they and there was never an issue trying to the largo MRO [maintenance, repair and would go to work sterilizing and decon- find volunteers. They were lining up to overhaul] facility up in Oscoda, Michi- taminating the airplane before it went on a do this mission. They were so proud to be gan, we have the ability to put in seat pal- second mission. And that’s where the 747 able to be part of this, to repatriate citi- lets and configure the aircraft in a short freighter was an ideal candidate for this zens back to the US during the COVID amount of time. type of work. ordeal, that we had no lack of volunteers. It was amazing. PETE SANDERLIN: We have a lot of do- DTJ: How did you prepare your person- nor airplanes. We buy a lot of ex-passenger nel? Did they express a lot of concern for DTJ: Did you have any difficulty getting airplanes that we can remove that equip- their health and safety, given how little we PPE or any other supplies for your per- ment out of those airplanes and put them knew about the virus at that time? sonnel? inside the 747. So almost immediately, we had everything on hand—we had slides, HEATH NICHOLL: Well, with our back- HEATH NICHOLL: From our experience rafts, life jackets, oxygen, seats and seat ground working the Ebola relief flights working with Ebola and doing the exer- pallets, and we were able to have lav equip- and CBCS exercises, we developed pro- cises with the Department of State, we had ment, as obviously we had to have physi- tocols in relation to infectious disease and quite a surplus of PPE, everything from ological support for any potential patients. mitigation methods. We make sure that the Tyvek [protective suits] to the masks, We were able to do this all in a short we give our team members—our pilots, the face shields, respirators, and gloves. amount of time. I think from the time we our mechanics, and our loadmasters—the We were very well equipped. And in ad- got the call, about 72-hours later, we had best health and safety environment we dition, because the State Department was our first 747 in Oscoda getting configured can put them in. We did that during the involved, they provided equipment as well. in a passenger configuration. These air- Ebola outbreak. We created our own in- planes are full cargo, but we’re able to con- ternal protocols on how we would steril- DTJ: Once you had your people and vert them and put seats inside the airplane. ize the airplane, how we protect the crews, equipment in place, what protocols or and make sure that everything returned to procedures did you implement to carry out HEATH NICHOLL: And this was ideal for us and put back on board the aircraft was these flights? the Department of State’s needs because treated to be Ebola-free and virus-free be- we could carry the CBCS’s, and then being fore heading back to the states. And that PETE SANDERLIN: Basically, how it all a freighter proves beneficial because it has kind of segues into COVID, we applied worked is that we would screen everyone. 20 | Defense Transportation Journal | FEBRUARY 2021 They were all pre-screened before loading They were staggered within seven hours of nose door makes it a fantastic aircraft for the airplane by State Department person- each flight coming out of China, repatri- these missions. nel. Along with the passengers, we were ating back. We probably had more than provided flight nurses and doctors that 1,100 people in the air at once. But the DTJ: Now that passengers can fly com- flew along with us. They would monitor different points in the US that we went mercial, are you still involved in support- the passengers’ health onboard the aircraft. into, such as the airbases, things for the ing the government’s COVID response If a passenger had become ill, they would most part went fine. It was amazing how efforts? move them to designated seating on the well it went. airplane. PETE SANDERLIN: We are. We’re still We also had a secure segregated area DTJ: If you had to pinpoint one thing, working with the Phoenix Air Group, De- where, if a passenger happened to develop what do you think was the key to mission partment of State, and other government COVID symptoms while en route back to success? agencies on other things. We’ve shifted the US, we could put them in an isolation from repatriation to now the vaccination. area of the airplane. We had that screened HEATH NICHOLL: I think it’s our people. We have a smaller role because using a 747 off so we could move passengers around as It’s our team. It’s our folks. I can’t empha- for transporting the vaccinations is over- needed based on their health conditions. size enough the willingness of our pilots, whelming, but we still support in that role. The healthy passengers stayed towards the loadmasters, and our mechanics to do front. If someone happened to develop any these missions. For example, our Oscoda DTJ: Well, Heath, Pete, I appreciate you symptoms, we move them into the back groups, I mean, we had people wanting sharing this story with us. It has been an into the screened-off area. to work extra shifts in Oscoda to config- incredibly challenging year, but we are so ure these airplanes for these missions. We proud of NDTA’s members’ and partners’ HEATH NICHOLL: And similar pro- had crew volunteering to fly. They felt like work throughout the pandemic, so thanks tocols were used to deplane the aircraft they’re all part of something.