The history of air freight is a fascinating story spanning more than a century. It all started with the pioneering experiments of the Wright brothers with airplanes in the early 1900s. The idea of using airplanes for transportation quickly gained momentum, and as early as 1911 the first commercial air cargo flight was made in Ohio.

During World War I, aeroplanes were widely used to transport military supplies and equipment. After the war, airlines began carrying mail along with passengers, eventually leading to the emergence of air cargo as a separate industry.

In the 1930s, air cargo became more common as airlines began to use larger aircraft with greater payload capacity. During World War II, air cargo played a crucial role in supplying troops and transporting equipment.

After the war, air cargo continued to evolve as airlines began to specialise in transporting cargo rather than passengers. The advent of jet aircraft in the 1960s further increased the speed and efficiency of air cargo transportation.

In the 1970s, FedEx, one of the best known and largest companies in the land and air freight industry today, emerged.

Much has changed since then, and today air freight is a vital part of world trade, moving billions of dollars worth of goods by air each year. It has also grown into a complex and integrated system, involving airlines, airports, ground services, freight forwarders and customs agents. Air cargo has become an integral part of the global economy and accounts for more than a third of the value of global trade. According to IATA, global air cargo volumes in 2022 were 250.2 billion tonne-kilometres.

Air freight is ideal for the transport of urgent or time-sensitive goods such as medical supplies, perishable goods or high-value products. As well as speed of delivery, which takes a small fraction of the time of delivery by sea or land, air freight also has the highest level of security, as airlines invest heavily in security, safety and technology to ensure that your parcel arrives on time and in good condition. In addition, air freight is not affected by weather conditions or traffic congestion, which can cause delays or damage to goods.

We prefer to work with market leaders, so you can be assured of the quality of the service we provide. But airfreight does not always mean shipping on a cargo plane; we often ship smaller items on passenger planes as well. For exports and imports to the US, we often work with LatAm Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, FedEx, DHL, Emirates, and, for shipments to the East, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.

Where and from where are the most goods being exported and imported from the US? Let's take a look at the statistics provided by TrendEconomy for the year 2021:

Where is the US exporting to?

The main destinations for US goods exports in 2021 were

* Canada with 17.5% ($306 billion)

* Mexico with 15.7% ($276 billion)

* China with 8.61% ($151 billion)

* Japan with 4.27% ($74 billion)

* South Korea with 3.75% ($65 billion)

* Germany with 3.69% ($64 billion)

* Great Britain with 3.5% ($61 billion)

* Netherlands with 3.05% ($53 billion)

* Brazil with 2.67% ($46 billion)

Where does the US import goods from?

The largest U.S. trading partners for imports in 2021 are

* China with 18.4 percent share ($541 billion)

* Mexico with 13.2% ($388 billion)

* Canada with 12.4% ($363 billion)

* Japan with 4.75% ($139 billion)

* Germany with 4.71% ($138 billion )

* Vietnam with 3.68% ownership ($108 billion)

* South Korea with 3.36% ownership ($98 billion)

* Other Asian countries with 2.75% ($80 billion)

* India with 2.62% ($77 billion)

* Ireland with 2.52% ($74 billion)

You can be sure that at least 1/4 of it is transported by air, as the average payload capacity of a cargo aircraft is around 40 tonnes, and the largest cargo aircraft to date is at NASA's disposal, with a payload capacity of 253,800 kg of Aero Spacelines Super Guppy components and rockets.

At Platton, we do not own such huge aircraft, but this does not stop us from providing the best service in the air cargo industry. We are ready to provide you with the most comfortable and fastest transportation options at the most competitive prices. We are passionate about what we do and we are true freight forwarding professionals, so do not hesitate to ask for advice and receive an instant response from our dispatchers! And remember, the sky's the limit.