What is the history of ABX- The Journey of ABX

The Journey of ABX Air : From Airborne Express to Cargo Leader

ABX Air enjoys a rich history based on the booming air cargo and express delivery in the United States. Its history is tied to Airborne Express, and the history of air logistics development, beginning with the deregulated era and its culmination in the present world, which is based on global e-commerce. 

Early Foundations and Growth

The history of ABX Air can be traced from its beginnings in April 1980 when Airborne Freight Corporation bought Midwest Air Charter. This new organization came into action under the name Airborne Express later in the year. Airborne Express was able to rapidly become a force in the transportation of cargo in the United States, integrating its core cargo business with maintenance of aircraft in its headquarters in Wilmington, Ohio. During the initial five years of operation, the ABX Air shot to the number three position in the express cargo carrier sector in the country, as the deregulation in the airline industry swept it along.

Expansion and Innovation

In the 1990s, ABX Air managed major growths, as it acquired the Boeing 767 into its fleet, as well as the sorting and maintenance amenities. By January 1996, it had purchased 12 Boeing 767 passenger jets to convert them into cargo jets, to improve its cargo capacity. By 1995, the firm was able to provide employment to 5,500 individuals and it was a testament to its high growth and its growing size. ​

Becoming ABX Air and Market Changes

The crucial year of ABX Air was in 2003. In the same year, Airborne Freight acquired DHL, the world logistics company. With this merger, Airborne ground operations were transferred to DHL and its air cargo operations were separated out to form ABX Air, Inc., which became a publicly traded company and quickly had DHL as its anchor customer. ​​

Diversification and New Partnerships

In pursuit of such expansion, ABX Air started to include international cargo flights in 2007 in an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) contract with All Nippon Air in Japan, flying freight in Asia under its Boeing 767 fleet. In the same year, ABX Air, struck a successful move to acquire Cargo Holdings International that provided it with control over Air Transport International (ATI) and Capital Cargo International Airlines that have a significant effect on the cargo sector. This market was acquired at a cost of 350 million dollars, and it increased the presence of ABX air particularly in international and charters operations. ​

The DHL Realignment and Modern Era

The withdrawal of DHL in the U.S domestic market in 2008 is a big challenge to ABX Air. In their turn, the company reacted by becoming a member of Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), a new holding company that consolidates several different cargo and airline activities. 

In 2009 and later on, ABX Air went a step further by outsourcing aircraft maintenance and further diversifying charter services. The sort operations at Wilmington were terminated when DHL moved its hub to Cincinnati due to the dynamic logistics trends and the necessity to adapt on a regular basis in the world of cargo industry. ​

Conclusion

ABX Air is now an indispensable part of ATSG, and one can see how air cargo carriers can prosper, evolve and innovate in the shifting logistics, mergers, and international trade. The fact that it has transformed itself into a regional charter and then global cargo leader is due to the dynamic and changing nature of logistics and the necessity of agility and innovativeness in the history of aircraft.