From candies to Covid-19 vaccines
Delta Cargo is marking its 75th anniversary this month, tracing its humble beginnings from a shipment of 90 kg of freshly picked mushrooms loaded aboard a DC-3 destined for Atlanta.
That first week of operation in 1946, the airline carried a little bit of everything to customers across the USA: a 64-year-old, USD 1,500 soup tureen; 500 kg of auto parts filling six crates; 200 kg of candy; a box of silver coins.
Delta planes had served the Allied cause during WWII, transporting food, surgical supplies, weapons and auto parts overseas. That helped give Delta what was needed to turn cargo transport into a full-fledged business.
In the decades since, the cargo team has marked a number of milestones, starting international services in 1953. Today, Delta Cargo carries 2.2 billion cargo tonne miles every year. (ah)