Kalitta wasn't stupid. He demanded two years lease payments up front, plus maintenance reserves, which Baltia didn't have. Capital that Tony could never raise.
Same with Songbird, who demanded two years of lease payments up front. Did Tony even read the SPA that specified the funds required for closing? He claimed he had the funds. He lied in the Songbird 8-K.
Likewise, Baltia lied in its Ks and Qs for years about its "route assets" -- which were NONE, since 2010, when DOT revoked them for dormancy.