PAN AMERICAN GOES ALL OUT ON JET FREIGHTERS
Last week Pan American began a massive effort to stimulate the international air freight market with the world's first operation of jet aircraft on all freight services. The operation and equipment used are described here by F. G. SWANBOROUGH
BY the middle of next year, Pan American World Airways will have invested $56 m. (£20 m.) in jet freighters, plus several million dollars more for associated ground handling equipment. Having decided that the time is ripe to exploit the jet transport's capability in the all-cargo field, P.A.A. has adopted a policy of complete commitment to the new vehicle.
Scheduled operations with three Boeing 707-320Cs began across the Atlantic and the Pacific on June 17 and Pan American is now flying nine round trips a week, serving a total of nine cities. Five more of the all-cargo Boeings are scheduled for delivery next April and May.
Each Boeing 707-320C has a potential output of 75-80 m. ton-miles a year. In 1962, the total airlift of cargo by P.A.A. was 195 m. ton-miles and this is expected to increase by at least 25 per cent to 244 m. in 1963.
High growth rote
In 1965 – the first full year of operations by all eight aircraft – Pan Ameri…