| A brief history on Air Travel
Airmail was the big early boom in air transport and later, commodities were shipped by air. However, transporting cargo by plane never made as much money as passengers and mail did yet proved extremely useful for companies involved in jewellery and pharmaceuticals, for example.
After World War II, larger planes solely for cargo transportation were built and whole companies were founded on the business of shipping goods by air. Virtually anything could be transported if it would fit in the plane. Food could be carried, coal, construction equipment, and eventually exotic animals for zoos, which by this time pressurized cabins were used.
Frozen foods were later transported by fitting refrigeration units inside the fuselage. Heavy machinery, including the transportation of complete cars were also popular cargo items. It was later realised that there would be a market in the quick transportation of letters and other packages, whereby they could be delivered the next day.
Air cargo costs are very high compared with the conventional truck, rail, and water transport, but it is an invaluable service if you have to transport cargo overseas and are in a hurry. As a result, air cargo has a small share of total tonnage moved by all forms of transport.
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