USA Jet Airlines
Cargo airline in Michigan, US
USA Jet Airlines is an American cargo airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Willow Run Airport, and in Van Buren Township, Michigan. USA Jet operates on-demand air charter freight, and formerly passenger flights out of Willow Run Airport. USA Jet Airlines is a division of Ascent Global Logistics (formerly Active Aero Group).
01History
In August 2013, USA Jet Airlines became the world's first operator of an MD-80 Passenger-to-Freighter conversion. The aircraft, converted by Aeronautical Engineers, Inc., competes against the Boeing 727 in the cargo market. In February 2023, USA Jet retired the last three of their McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fleet.
02Fleet
Current fleet
As of December 2025, the USA Jet Airlines fleet included the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas MD-88SF | 8 | , | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83SF | 1 | , | |
| Boeing 727-200F | 2 | , | |
| Dassault Falcon 20 | 4 | , | All have been parked at Willow Run Airport since 2024. |
| Total | 15 | , |
Historic fleet
USA Jet Airlines previously also operated the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 1 | Converted to Freighter |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC | 1 | Converted to Freighter |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | 3 |
03Accidents and incidents
- On September 1, 2005, a Falcon 20 struck a flock of mourning doves shortly after rotation at Lorain County, Ohio, causing both engines to flame out. As the gear was retracted, the plane crashed beyond the runway and was destroyed after impact. The crew suffered minor injuries.
- On July 8, 2008, a DC-9-15F (N199US) crashed onto a roadway while approaching the Plan de Guadalupe International Airport in Saltillo, Mexico while on a scheduled cargo flight from the U.S. The National Transportation Safety Board, which confirmed the death of the pilot, reported no one was injured on the ground. The co-pilot suffered severe burns. Flight 199 departed Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP) on July 5 for Hamilton (YHM), Canada to pick up cargo. Automotive parts were loaded on board and the flight continued to Shreveport (SHV) where it arrived at 23:19 CDT. After clearing customs it took off again at 23:48 CDT, bound for Saltillo (SLW), Mexico. The DC-9 crashed in an industrial area 800 m north of the airport. The airplane broke up and burned.
04Trivia
- A USA Jet Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was used for the filming of the movie Cedar Rapids and another painted for We Are Marshall.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “USA Jet Airlines”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- USA Jet Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88(SF) N837US.jpg by AVA Navigate, CC BY 4.0
- N727US Boeing 727-223 Advanced of USAJet.jpg by ChaosInABottle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dassault Falcon (Mystere) 20E, USA Jet Airlines AN0423835.jpg by Dmitry Avdeev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA Jet Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15F N199US at Miami International Airport, 16 April 2008.jpg by Michael Eaton-Aviation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The most patriotic of jets. (7861046874).jpg by BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
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