Airborne Express was an express delivery company and
cargo airline. Headquartered in
Seattle, Washington, its
hub was in
Wilmington, Ohio. Airborne was founded as the Airborne Flower Traffic Association of California in 1946 to fly flowers from
Hawaii to the US mainland. Airborne Express was acquired by
DHL in 2003. Prior to the acquisition, it rose to be the third largest private express delivery company in the United States, behind Federal Express (
FedEx Express) and
United Parcel Service (UPS).
History
Growth during Airborne's first 22 years was slow, but in 1968, the airline known as Airbourne Freight Company,[1] started going through some changes. The company Air Cargo Equipment Corporation developed and patented a special narrow container, known in the industry later as the "C" container (referring to its C shape), which allowed the more efficient use of space within large jet aircraft.[2] The containers also eliminated the need to modify the cargo doors, thus saving any air-freight company that used them substantial sums of money. It does appear that around this time, early on, that Airborne began using the more efficient containers. Known at that time as Airborne of California, the company merged with Pacific Air Freight of
Seattle. The newly formed airline moved its headquarters north to Seattle and changed its name to Airborne Freight Corporation. This was the name they kept until 1980.
Growth from 1980-2008
1980: The airline changed its name to Airborne Express Inc. after buying Midwest Air Charter.[3] Airborne Express made history by buying the
Clinton County Air Force Base in Wilmington, and became the first airline in history to own and operate an airport. A number of
NAMC YS-11 twin-engined turboprop freight conversions were also purchased. From that point on, Wilmington, Ohio became the company's main freight-sorting hub.[4]
1988: Airborne started offering same day delivery after buying Sky Courier (now DHL SameDay) as well as forming contracts with other private logistical contractors, in every city where they operated an office. The vehicles (mostly vans), and the drivers employed by these contracted companies, were all outfitted with the colors and uniforms of the rapidly recognizable Airborne colors: gray, red and black.[5][better source needed] Around this time, Airborne Express offered a less expensive second-day package service, which was modeled after Federal Express' second-day, or "P2" (priority two) parcel service.[6]
1989: Airborne Express changes its name to ABX Air.[7]
1991: Airborne received awards from three major companies, including
Volvo, and in 1992, the airline introduced Flight-Ready SM, a prepaid express letters and Express Pack[8] system.
1993: Airborne introduced the Airborne Logistics System (ALS), which provided Airborne with warehousing and distribution services.
1994: Airborne opened the Ocean Services Division, and along with ALS, helped establish the first new film distribution program for
Technicolor labs since 1944. In addition, relations were established with
Vietnam.
1995: Airborne opened a second runway at Wilmington, and
Boeing 767 jets were added to the fleet. The Airborne Alliance Group took care of many departments of the company.
1996: Airborne's stock tripled, which would later lead to a two-for-one stock split in February 1998. Formed that year was Airborne Brokerage Services.
1998: Airborne entered the
Fortune 500 list for the first time. Airborne's first of 30 total Boeing 767s arrived at Wilmington, and the airline won an award from
The Business Consumer Guide.
2000:
Carl Donaway became the company's new president, which led to many managerial changes. Also that year, Airborne started a ground service for the first time in its history.
2001: Airborne Express launched Ground Delivery Service and 10:30 AM Delivery Service. Airborne.com launched some services of its own, including the Small Business Center and Airborne eCourier.
August 14, 2003: Airborne shareholders approved the acquisition of Airborne Inc. by
DHL of
Brussels,
Belgium. DHL is 100% owned by
Deutsche Post World Net. The acquisition became effective the next day. DHL retained ownership of Airborne's ground operations and spun off its air operations as
ABX Air, Inc.
November 10, 2008: Global delivery company DHL announced that it was cutting 9,500 jobs as it discontinued air and ground operations within the United States. DHL said its DHL Express would continue to operate between the United States and other nations. But the company said it was dropping "domestic-only" air and ground services within the United States by Jan. 30 "to minimize future uncertainties". DHL's 9,500 job cuts were on top of 5,400 job reductions announced earlier that year. After those job losses, between 3,000 and 4,000 employees remained at DHL's U.S. operations. The company also said it was shutting down all ground hubs and reducing its number of stations to 103 from 412.[9]
Incidents and accidents
Airborne Express has experienced seven accidents, with six of them being hull losses, and two resulting in fatalities.[10]
On June 11, 1979, a
de Havilland Dove operated by Midwest Air Charter on behalf of Airborne Express made a belly landing at
St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Both crew members survived, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.[11]
On June 19, 1980, a
Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R made a hard landing at Atlanta Municipal Airport (now
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport), causing its left main landing gear to collapse. The aircraft was caught in wake turbulence from a
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The four occupants (three crew members and one passenger) on board survived. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.[12]
On August 20, 1987, Airborne Express Flight 124, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, was back taxiing on Runway 09/27 at
Stewart International Airport during deteriorating weather conditions, when an
Emery Worldwide (operating as Rosenbalm Aviation Flight 074) Douglas DC-8-63F, landed on the same runway without clearance, The DC-9's tail was struck by the DC-8's wing. There were no fatalities and both aircraft were repaired and returned to service.[14]
On January 29, 1990, a
Cessna 208 Caravan crashed after takeoff from
Burlington International Airport. The pilot and the passenger, the aircraft's only occupants, were both killed. This was the first fatal accident for Airborne Express. The accident was caused by the overloading of the aircraft and pilot error due to the aircraft not being de-iced before departure.[15]
On March 6, 1992, a
NAMC YS-11A operating a training flight was damaged beyond repair and written off when it made a belly landing at the Wilmington-Airborne Airpark after the crew accidentally forgot to lower the landing gear. All three crew members on board survived.[16]
Airborne Express was an express delivery company and
cargo airline. Headquartered in
Seattle, Washington, its
hub was in
Wilmington, Ohio. Airborne was founded as the Airborne Flower Traffic Association of California in 1946 to fly flowers from
Hawaii to the US mainland. Airborne Express was acquired by
DHL in 2003. Prior to the acquisition, it rose to be the third largest private express delivery company in the United States, behind Federal Express (
FedEx Express) and
United Parcel Service (UPS).
History
Growth during Airborne's first 22 years was slow, but in 1968, the airline known as Airbourne Freight Company,[1] started going through some changes. The company Air Cargo Equipment Corporation developed and patented a special narrow container, known in the industry later as the "C" container (referring to its C shape), which allowed the more efficient use of space within large jet aircraft.[2] The containers also eliminated the need to modify the cargo doors, thus saving any air-freight company that used them substantial sums of money. It does appear that around this time, early on, that Airborne began using the more efficient containers. Known at that time as Airborne of California, the company merged with Pacific Air Freight of
Seattle. The newly formed airline moved its headquarters north to Seattle and changed its name to Airborne Freight Corporation. This was the name they kept until 1980.
Growth from 1980-2008
1980: The airline changed its name to Airborne Express Inc. after buying Midwest Air Charter.[3] Airborne Express made history by buying the
Clinton County Air Force Base in Wilmington, and became the first airline in history to own and operate an airport. A number of
NAMC YS-11 twin-engined turboprop freight conversions were also purchased. From that point on, Wilmington, Ohio became the company's main freight-sorting hub.[4]
1988: Airborne started offering same day delivery after buying Sky Courier (now DHL SameDay) as well as forming contracts with other private logistical contractors, in every city where they operated an office. The vehicles (mostly vans), and the drivers employed by these contracted companies, were all outfitted with the colors and uniforms of the rapidly recognizable Airborne colors: gray, red and black.[5][better source needed] Around this time, Airborne Express offered a less expensive second-day package service, which was modeled after Federal Express' second-day, or "P2" (priority two) parcel service.[6]
1989: Airborne Express changes its name to ABX Air.[7]
1991: Airborne received awards from three major companies, including
Volvo, and in 1992, the airline introduced Flight-Ready SM, a prepaid express letters and Express Pack[8] system.
1993: Airborne introduced the Airborne Logistics System (ALS), which provided Airborne with warehousing and distribution services.
1994: Airborne opened the Ocean Services Division, and along with ALS, helped establish the first new film distribution program for
Technicolor labs since 1944. In addition, relations were established with
Vietnam.
1995: Airborne opened a second runway at Wilmington, and
Boeing 767 jets were added to the fleet. The Airborne Alliance Group took care of many departments of the company.
1996: Airborne's stock tripled, which would later lead to a two-for-one stock split in February 1998. Formed that year was Airborne Brokerage Services.
1998: Airborne entered the
Fortune 500 list for the first time. Airborne's first of 30 total Boeing 767s arrived at Wilmington, and the airline won an award from
The Business Consumer Guide.
2000:
Carl Donaway became the company's new president, which led to many managerial changes. Also that year, Airborne started a ground service for the first time in its history.
2001: Airborne Express launched Ground Delivery Service and 10:30 AM Delivery Service. Airborne.com launched some services of its own, including the Small Business Center and Airborne eCourier.
August 14, 2003: Airborne shareholders approved the acquisition of Airborne Inc. by
DHL of
Brussels,
Belgium. DHL is 100% owned by
Deutsche Post World Net. The acquisition became effective the next day. DHL retained ownership of Airborne's ground operations and spun off its air operations as
ABX Air, Inc.
November 10, 2008: Global delivery company DHL announced that it was cutting 9,500 jobs as it discontinued air and ground operations within the United States. DHL said its DHL Express would continue to operate between the United States and other nations. But the company said it was dropping "domestic-only" air and ground services within the United States by Jan. 30 "to minimize future uncertainties". DHL's 9,500 job cuts were on top of 5,400 job reductions announced earlier that year. After those job losses, between 3,000 and 4,000 employees remained at DHL's U.S. operations. The company also said it was shutting down all ground hubs and reducing its number of stations to 103 from 412.[9]
Incidents and accidents
Airborne Express has experienced seven accidents, with six of them being hull losses, and two resulting in fatalities.[10]
On June 11, 1979, a
de Havilland Dove operated by Midwest Air Charter on behalf of Airborne Express made a belly landing at
St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Both crew members survived, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.[11]
On June 19, 1980, a
Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R made a hard landing at Atlanta Municipal Airport (now
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport), causing its left main landing gear to collapse. The aircraft was caught in wake turbulence from a
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The four occupants (three crew members and one passenger) on board survived. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.[12]
On August 20, 1987, Airborne Express Flight 124, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, was back taxiing on Runway 09/27 at
Stewart International Airport during deteriorating weather conditions, when an
Emery Worldwide (operating as Rosenbalm Aviation Flight 074) Douglas DC-8-63F, landed on the same runway without clearance, The DC-9's tail was struck by the DC-8's wing. There were no fatalities and both aircraft were repaired and returned to service.[14]
On January 29, 1990, a
Cessna 208 Caravan crashed after takeoff from
Burlington International Airport. The pilot and the passenger, the aircraft's only occupants, were both killed. This was the first fatal accident for Airborne Express. The accident was caused by the overloading of the aircraft and pilot error due to the aircraft not being de-iced before departure.[15]
On March 6, 1992, a
NAMC YS-11A operating a training flight was damaged beyond repair and written off when it made a belly landing at the Wilmington-Airborne Airpark after the crew accidentally forgot to lower the landing gear. All three crew members on board survived.[16]