| Man has always had a fascination for flying, ever | | | | business prior to that. |
| finding ways to take to the skies and fly to distant | | | | American, United, TWA and Eastern -- the top four |
| places. This fascination, a dream that wouldn't die | | | | known airlines -- formed Air Cargo, Inc., which |
| generation after generation, was what eventually led | | | | operated as an air freight company until the end of |
| to the birth of airplanes. | | | | the war. However, United and TWA decided to |
| Today, airplanes are mainly responsible for taking us | | | | operate their own air freight business in 1944. |
| to any point in the world. Airplanes have become | | | | The air freight industry was lucrative, which was why |
| major transportation carriers. Not only do airplanes | | | | many small plane owners tried to get into the |
| enable us to visit a friend or a loved in another | | | | business but failed. The bigger airlines, concerned that |
| continent, airplanes also carry shipments -- from small | | | | the smaller airlines will adversely affect the industry's |
| items to large ones. | | | | status quo, did not let smaller airlines into the air |
| The idea of using an airplane to transport shipments | | | | freight business. In addition, the big airlines did not |
| took seed in 1910. According to aviation history, a | | | | want more competition. While many small plane |
| shipment of silk was flown from Dayton to | | | | operators tried and failed, the "Flying Tigers" survived. |
| Columbus, Ohio. This shipment is believed to be the | | | | Known as the largest in air freight liner industry during |
| first air freight demonstration. | | | | its time, The Flying Tigers carried military and civilian |
| Nine years later, another airplane became freight | | | | cargo. |
| carrier. The cargo: a converted bomber that weighed | | | | The air freight forwarding business may have had a |
| over a thousand pounds. Shipped by the American | | | | good start, but it didn't really start developing until a |
| Railway Express, the converted bomber was flown | | | | man named Fred Smith started an air freight business |
| to Chicago from Washington D.C. The journey was | | | | that has become recognizable across the world -- |
| not uneventful, though. A frozen radiator forced the | | | | Federal Express, or simply FedEx. |
| pilot to land the plane in Ohio. | | | | FedEx is one of the air freight carriers enjoying a |
| The 1920s saw several airlines operate as freight | | | | great degree of success. FedEx uses modern |
| carriers, catering only to American businesses. The | | | | technology (e.g., air freight software) in responding to |
| arrival of air freight has helped businesses transport | | | | the needs of its customers. The air freight software |
| merchandise more rapidly as well as shorten the time | | | | that FedEx uses, the latest in the freight forwarding |
| they need to conclude transactions. | | | | industry, can resolve problems in the system as well |
| Between 1927 and 1931, the number and size of air | | | | as give customers services that are cost effective. |
| freight cargo reached nearly a million pounds, up from | | | | FedEx and UPS, another air freight carrier, are |
| 45,000 pounds. Commercial air freight began | | | | considered the two most reliable air freight |
| operating only after World War II ended although | | | | forwarding companies in the United States today. |
| there were efforts to organize the air freight | | | | |