When one thinks about American Airlines, the traveling passenger immediately comes to mind as the primary customer. Yet, there is another important customer for American Airlines - cargo. American Airlines offers a variety of cargo products designed to meet the needs of customers in the worldwide airfreight industry.

From its earliest days, American Airlines has been an air cargo company. Carrying U.S. mail paid the bills when passengers were few and far between. The airline began mail-only flights in 1926 between Chicago and St. Louis, quite often piloted by the famous aviator, Charles Lindberg. Even after delivery of the more luxurious DC3 aircraft, cargo remained important to every flight.

On October 15, 1944, American Airlines inaugurated the first scheduled air cargo service in the world with a newly delivered DC3 freighter, the Flagship Illinois. The 19 hour voyage from LaGuardia Field in New York to Burbank, California marked the first ever coast-to-coast all cargo flight. The three DC3 freighters that started service in the fall of 1944 were so successful that by the end of the decade, American was operating 19 freighters in all. Air cargo was here to stay!

Fast forward 50 years and you'll find cargo is more of a driving force at American Airlines than ever before. The inauguration of the Boeing 777 into our system has created an enormous opportunity for increased revenue for cargo. Not only can it handle over 125,000 pounds of passenger bags and cargo on a single flight, but its implementation has also allowed us to distribute other widebody aircraft throughout our system. The resulting double-digit capacity growth for American Airlines Cargo gives us even more opportunity to meet the needs of our customers.

Along with improved capacity, American Airlines Cargo is focused on a set of initiatives designed to enhance reliability and deliver top-notch customer service. New markets and technology are opening unprecedented opportunities for the airfreight industry worldwide. Recognizing this, American Airlines Cargo has been hard at work recreating itself with the customer in mind. From easy-to-use automated systems to new aircraft, facilities, training and unsurpassed customer service, the Cargo Division of American Airlines is taking strides in every aspect of our business.

It takes a great team of dedicated professionals to make all this happen. Every piece of freight that crosses our docks must be closely monitored to ensure it arrives at its destination in a rapid, expedient manner. American Airlines Cargo Division is made up of the people who make it happen every day.