Back in February, we decided to commemorate Air Cargo World’s 70 years as a magazine by beginning a nostalgic romp through our archives, picking out interesting bits of history along the way. That feature, Back Pages, continues this month with a reprint of the magazine’s very first editor’s note, written nearly seven decades prior to me sitting down at the computer to type this out. The piece, which is from our maiden issue, is accompanied by some vintage ads for a fun look at how the industry publicized itself back then.
The industry has changed immeasurably in the short time I’ve been with the publication, and what I’ve seen pales in comparison to the memories and experiences of Richard Malkin, the first, and longest-serving, editor. I journeyed up to New York last year to chat with him about the industry’s infancy and evolution, and I was enthralled by his stories. No birthday issue would have been complete without a look at Malkin and his place in air cargo.
Anniversaries are as much about looking into the future as they are about remembering the past. Cathay Pacific’s James Woodrow, who wrote a short column this month, thinks a move toward more belly capacity and the menacing specter of high gas prices will define the industry moving forward. Space, that infinite
frontier, will define cargo in the coming years as well. Right before we went to press on this issue, the first commercial cargo flight took off from Florida, destined for the International Space Station. If successful, the project will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in air cargo’s history book.
There’s a lot to cover in 70 years, and I hope we’ve done a good job paying tribute to all the changes and innovations that have occurred in the airfreight industry across seven long decades. Please read through this issue, and then send me a note either via Twitter, on our Facebook page or as a comment on our website, sharing your memories about the industry and your hopes for the future.
