The Hidden World of Airfreight
Most people use the post service or a courier from time to time. A letter will always be more romantic than an email, and until someone finally works out how to build a Star Trek style teleporter, it is still the only viable option for getting all the stuff we order at two in the morning from the internet. But how did the phenomenon of international freight begin? Let’s look into the interesting history of the world of airfreight.
Today companies like AC Freight Global Ltd can make the process easy and safe, but that hasn’t always been the case. The first flight specifically commissioned to carry freight by air took place in Ohio, America on 7th November 1910. The pilot delivered 200lb of silk for the opening of a shop and took 57 minutes. The first ever airfreight delivery from London to Paris carried the odd combination of a batch of leather for a shoemaker’s firm and a brace of grouse for a restaurant. Let’s just hope they didn’t get the two confused on delivery! Some other strange airfreight journeys made over the years include a couple who moved to a new house and had their whole garden pond, water, fish and all, shipped to their new continent. In the early 20th century some enterprising parents even tried to use America’s early form of airfreight to post children as a cheaper form of air travel!
The largest airfreight plane in the world is the Antonov AN-225 Mriya and it was originally designed and built to move the Russian space shuttle. It is a true monster, with a wingspan close to the length of a football pitch, and with a hold big enough for four battle tanks or 80 family cars. In 2009 this huge vehicle was used to carry the heaviest load ever taken by airfreight, a gas powered generator weighing in at well over 400,000lb, from Germany to Armenia. When it landed it received a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records!
Many people don’t know that when then travel by air, 5-10% of the hold of their passenger flight will be used by airfreight companies to transport goods, and the classic Boeing 747 can be configured to take just airfreight, passengers or an equal split of both. The real trick is getting someone to book the space for you!
Airfreight is not a simple process and there are lots of safety concerns to consider. Dangerous goods to transport by airfreight are categorized by the UN by the type of risk, and each of the 9 categories has specific safety requirements. The consignor (the person shipping the goods) is responsible under law for classifying, packaging and marking dangerous goods, so it is important to make sure you use a company with an in house Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA).
The world of airfreight has come a long way in its short history, and next time you send a package, just think of the epic journey it is about to take!