Airmail – It All Started with Carrier Pigeons…

Even in ancient times, messages were delivered using what was known as airmail. The Egyptians used carrier pigeons over 3200 years ago to deliver messages. This fast and reliable method of communication was used, for example, to announce the coronation of Pharaoh Ramses II in 1279 BC. Julius Caesar also used the special abilities of these swift birds to send messages and orders to his troops. In the 12th century, the Arabs used a systematic carrier pigeon service for state purposes. Egyptian sultans also operated an organized state airmail service in the Middle Ages. During this time, the Crusaders reintroduced carrier pigeons to Europe from the Middle East. This form of airmail was used in the Dutch-Spanish war in the 16th century. By around 1850, there were carrier pigeon connections between European centers such as Paris, Antwerp, and Brussels. News reports and stock market information were transmitted via these routes. Paul Julius Reuter, the founder of the news agency Reuters, also began his service with a fleet of 200 carrier pigeons. In the mid-19th century, he used these birds to send stock market news within London. During World War I, carrier pigeons were used by the Swiss Army, where they remained in service until 1995.

The First Flying Machines Changed Airmail

Leonardo da Vinci had already designed the first drafts of flying machines. But it was the Montgolfier brothers who discovered the possibility of using hot air to lift a paper bag. This laid the foundation for the development of the first hot air balloon. The first human flight in a Montgolfier balloon took place on November 21, 1783. Just a year later, smaller messages were transported this way. The actual beginning of balloon mail was in 1793, when messages were sent from besieged fortresses in France using small balloons. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, communication was maintained through carrier pigeons and balloon mail. Balloons were used to transport not only letters but also carrier pigeons, which could then deliver replies on their return journey. Balloon mail was first officially used as airmail on July 17, 1859, in the USA. On a flight from St. Louis to Henderson in New York, pilot John Wise carried 123 letters. In June 1897, the first official balloon mail flight in Germany took place. As part of the Leipzig Trade Fair, Louis Godard handed over postcards from the Imperial Post for further transport. Airmail by hot air balloon was primarily used for military reasons or as an attraction at special events until the end of the 19th century.

Airmail Becomes Commercial with the Airplane

After Otto Lilienthal made his first flight attempts with a hang glider in the summer of 1891, it took another twelve years until the first powered flight. The Wright brothers conducted it on December 17, 1903. Just five years later, airmail was transported by airplane for the first time. The first official flight carrying airmail took place in India. As part of a world postal exhibition, French pilot Henri Pequet flew letters for a fee from Allahabad to Naini. In Germany, the first postal flight by the German Imperial Post was conducted on May 19, 1912, from Mannheim to Heidelberg. In Switzerland, the first official airmail was transported on March 9, 1913, from Basel to Liestal. Even before World War I, various countries were working intensively on expanding a network for airmail transport. During the war, military airmail gained increasing importance. As early as October 1914, soldiers in the Russian-besieged Przemysl were supplied with airmail by Austro-Hungarian pilots. The German Empire established its first regular airmail connections towards the end of World War I. These routes targeted destinations in the Baltic region and on the Eastern Front in Russia.

The history of civilian airmail began in Germany shortly after World War I on February 5, 1919. From this date, newspapers and mail were brought twice daily from Berlin to Weimar, where the National Assembly was meeting. Initially, only the members of the assembly were allowed to use the airmail connection, which was opened to the public after a few months. Airmail experienced a tremendous boom in the following years. The number of regular connections increased not only in Germany but throughout Western Europe and the USA. On August 11, 1920, airmail was transported from Germany abroad for the first time – to Malmö in Sweden.

On January 6, 1926, Deutsche Luft Hansa Aktiengesellschaft was founded, which was renamed Deutsche Lufthansa in 1934. Luft Hansa was required to reserve space for airmail on every flight. The rapid expansion of the global flight network and the rapid development of various aircraft types brought airmail a tremendous boost.

Airmail Was Indispensable in World War II

Airmail – known as field airmail during World War II – was the most important means of communication in all participating countries. The airmail network was expanded almost worldwide to transport goods, weapons, information, and especially greetings between home and the front. In April 1942, the first departure airport for German field airmail was established at Brest-Litovsk, which was later moved to Lodz during the war. The German field airmail service had to cease operations on July 6, 1944. After the end of World War II, the airmail service in the occupied German territories was taken over by foreign companies, which gradually rebuilt the infrastructure for airmail connections. In Germany, the first airmail shipments were possible again from October 20, 1948.

Deutsche Lufthansa was re-established in 1954 and began offering regular airmail flights again from April 1, 1955.

The Berlin Airlift

From June 24, 1948, airmail took on a very special significance. The Soviet occupying power had set up a complete blockade of the western part of Berlin. The population in this part of the city could only be supplied from outside with food, other goods, and mail. Airmail was indispensable for the survival of the enclosed West Berliners.

Airmail Today

The volume of airmail in Germany and abroad is constantly growing. The transport of goods over long distances or to hard-to-reach areas of the world is often only possible by airplane. Cargo security is essential. Especially in countries where transport by rail or ship is not possible, airmail in the form of cartons still holds a very high value.

Airmail, on the other hand, is losing importance when it comes to the transport of messages. In the digital age, information is increasingly sent via electronic media. This is faster and usually cheaper than the letter carried by airmail.