American Airlines has expanded its cargo agenda in May to put up 140 weekly escape to 15 urban center in Asia Pacific , Europe and the Caribbean , up from 80 flights last week . New destinations include daily flight between Dallas - Fort Worth ( DFW ) and Hong Kong ( HKG ) ; and weekly flights from DFW and Beijing ( PEK ) ; DFW Chicago ( ORD ) and Paris ( CDG ) ; ORD and London Heathrow ( LHR ) ; Philadelphia ( PHL ) and Rome ( FCO ) ; PHL and San Juan ( SJU ) , and PHL and Zurich ( ZRH ) .
For more than 75 years , cargo flights have played a meaning role in the story of American Airlines . And now in the brass of a global pandemic , payload flights are once again placing lading in the chronicle book for American .
Crates of temperature - control pharmaceuticals are loaded into aircraft for a load - only flying from ZRH to PHL .
“ Why we fly has n’t changed , but out of requirement how we manage for people on life ’s journey has had to transfer . Cargo - only fights have allowed us to transport aesculapian equipment , communications and technology tools , pharmaceutical and food supply , ” said Rick Elieson , President of Cargo and Vice President of International Operations . “ Air cargo is uniquely position to associate the populace at a clip when barriers and distance threaten to separate us . I ’m immensely proud of our team and business partner who have come together to make these flights potential , ” said Elieson .
The airline ’s other roots can be hunt back to flying cargo , when a Douglas DC-3 loaded with more than 6,000 Irish punt of fresh spinach , fresh flowers , plane portion and wearing apparel flew the first schedule gentle wind freight flight of steps from Burbank , California ( BUR ) to New York ( LGA ) on Oct. 15 , 1944 . American was also the first airline business with consecrate cargo pole .
American set out lading overhaul Oct. 15 , 1944 on a Douglas DC-3 .
After growing into a passenger airline , American return to freighter performance in October 1974 with six Boeing 747s . With 176,000 Ezra Pound of lading capacitance , the freighter flew a wide range of load from a printing wardrobe to fresh garden truck in its first year .
American flew the freighters for 10 years before the capacity of new widebody aircraft ( at the sentence the DC-10 and the Boeing 767 ) allowed American to charge shipment container on rider aircraft , moving the carrier away from a dedicated freighter fleet . The freighter were sell , with one purchase by NASA and converted to piggyback the space shuttle .
Throughout the long time , American has vanish alone cargo , including buck , helicopter , a trolley car and a variety of fomite , including a Rolls Royce and a DeLorean .
American is a fundamental histrion in the 35 % of public barter that move by atmosphere cargo , acquit 2 billion pounds of goods annually in the bellies of its rider aircraft . And now more than ever before , aura loading play a significant role in connecting the human race with critical goods — transport sweet green goods , shipping temperature - controlled drug trials for coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) and fill aircraft full of PPE .
