Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11
What would become the largest air cargo airline in history was begun by entrepreneur Fred Smith. While Smith’s realization of the explosion in air cargo services that would occur in the 1970s was by no means unique, his approach to it was. Smith decided that air cargo carriers of the time were too dependent on cooperation between themselves and airlines (which frequently did not happen), were too slow, and in any case completely dependent on ground carriers to carry goods from the airport to the end consumer. Smith wanted to found a company that would own everything from delivery trucks to services to its own airline, which would keep both operating costs and customer costs low, not to mention simplifying the entire process.
Smith founded his new company as Federal Express in 1971 and began flights in April 1973. Because of restrictions on all-cargo routes and a lack of capital, Smith started small, with a fleet of 25 Dassault Falcon 20s. The Falcon was originally intended as a business jet; Federal Express used them as high-speed couriers.
Federal Express struggled, flirting with bankruptcy on several occasions, until the airline industry was deregulated in the late 1970s. This applied to cargo airlines as well, and loosened the restrictions on them. Federal Express was then able to purchase larger Boeing 727s, which allowed the company to move both larger packages and more of them. Added to the company becoming the first to computerized parcel tracking and management, and Federal Express was poised for huge growth during the 1980s. By 1989, it was the largest air cargo airline in the United States, and when it acquired Flying Tigers in the same year, it could expand its influence to Asia as well; European destinations were already being served.
Federal Express—which in 1994 adopted the common FedEx abbreviation as its name—achieved Smith’s dream by the early 1990s, owning a gigantic number of ground trucks, stores, customs companies, and other services in addition to its growing air fleet. It continued to expand and prosper, becoming the first air cargo company to have a presence on the internet. In 2000, the air system became known as FedEx Express to differentiate itself from other branches of the Federal Express company (such as FedEx Ground). It partnered with the US Postal Service in 2001, adding yet more mail and cargo to its system.
Increasing operating costs have caused some cutbacks beginning in 2009 and the retirement of older aircraft, but FedEx Express is, by far, still the largest air cargo carrier in the world. In addition to its worldwide network, FedEx contracts with smaller, independent airlines to carry small cargo packages in regional areas, known as FedEx Feeder. As such, it is the largest operator of several aircraft types, including the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, and its Feeder system relies on no less than 250 Cessna Caravan 208s.
This FedEx MD-11 shows Federal Express' current livery. This model--which is huge--was presented to Bary Poletto by Federal Express' regional manager in Great Falls, MT for display in the Poletto Collection
Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11
What would become the largest air cargo airline in history was begun by entrepreneur Fred Smith. While Smith’s realization of the explosion in air cargo services that would occur in the 1970s was by no means unique, his approach to it was. Smith decided that air cargo carriers of the time were too dependent on cooperation between themselves and airlines (which frequently did not happen), were too slow, and in any case completely dependent on ground carriers to carry goods from the airport to the end consumer. Smith wanted to found a company that would own everything from delivery trucks to services to its own airline, which would keep both operating costs and customer costs low, not to mention simplifying the entire process.
Smith founded his new company as Federal Express in 1971 and began flights in April 1973. Because of restrictions on all-cargo routes and a lack of capital, Smith started small, with a fleet of 25 Dassault Falcon 20s. The Falcon was originally intended as a business jet; Federal Express used them as high-speed couriers.
Federal Express struggled, flirting with bankruptcy on several occasions, until the airline industry was deregulated in the late 1970s. This applied to cargo airlines as well, and loosened the restrictions on them. Federal Express was then able to purchase larger Boeing 727s, which allowed the company to move both larger packages and more of them. Added to the company becoming the first to computerized parcel tracking and management, and Federal Express was poised for huge growth during the 1980s. By 1989, it was the largest air cargo airline in the United States, and when it acquired Flying Tigers in the same year, it could expand its influence to Asia as well; European destinations were already being served.
Federal Express—which in 1994 adopted the common FedEx abbreviation as its name—achieved Smith’s dream by the early 1990s, owning a gigantic number of ground trucks, stores, customs companies, and other services in addition to its growing air fleet. It continued to expand and prosper, becoming the first air cargo company to have a presence on the internet. In 2000, the air system became known as FedEx Express to differentiate itself from other branches of the Federal Express company (such as FedEx Ground). It partnered with the US Postal Service in 2001, adding yet more mail and cargo to its system.
Increasing operating costs have caused some cutbacks beginning in 2009 and the retirement of older aircraft, but FedEx Express is, by far, still the largest air cargo carrier in the world. In addition to its worldwide network, FedEx contracts with smaller, independent airlines to carry small cargo packages in regional areas, known as FedEx Feeder. As such, it is the largest operator of several aircraft types, including the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, and its Feeder system relies on no less than 250 Cessna Caravan 208s.
This FedEx MD-11 shows Federal Express' current livery. This model--which is huge--was presented to Bary Poletto by Federal Express' regional manager in Great Falls, MT for display in the Poletto Collection