From overnight mail to air logistics
On 14 April 1930, exactly 95 years ago today, Sabena launched its first overnight airmail service between Brussels and London, a milestone for aviation and logistics.
Prosper Cocquyt, the first Belgian pilot with a certificate for instrument flying, piloted a Fokker aircraft through the night skies. This pioneering step in overnight postal delivery significantly accelerated communications between European capitals and laid the foundations for modern air logistics.
The operation not only demonstrated the possibilities of continuous air transport but also foreshadowed today’s technologies, from overnight cargo operations through to autonomous drone deliveries.
The very first airmail flight was completed by Henri Péquet in 1911, but regular overnight flights only became feasible in the 1920s. They started to reshape expectations concerning the speed and reliability of international communications. (ah)