Air Transport

We explain what air transport is, its history, advantages, disadvantages and types. Also, characteristics of cargo planes.

air transport
Air travel drastically decreased travel time over long distances.

What is air transport?

Air transportation or transportation by plane is the service of transfer of passengers or cargo from one geographic location to another, through the use of aircraftthat is, vehicles capable of flying.

Although it was initially intended for passengers only, today it is also enabled for cargo. Currently, air transport comprises an important branch of transportation worldwide, being the most regulated and controlled sector of all, partly due to its risk potential.

With its incorporation into the modern world in the 20th century, numerous travel possibilities became real. Shortened distances across planet Earth and significantly decreased the time required for long-distance travel.

Air transport is perhaps the most far-reaching in terms of distances traveled. It is capable of passing over seas, continents and geographical features of all kinds, but at the same time it is the most expensive and the one that requires the greatest investment in technology.

See also:

  • Water transport
  • Rail transport
  • Multimodal transport

History of air transport

wright brothers air transport
The first airplanes were built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Since the invention of the first airplane prototypes at the beginning of the 20th centuryair transport was one of the most rapidly developed forms of human transportation. The first steps in this direction were taken during the First World War, as part of the strategies of both sides to land troops more quickly and effectively.

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However, After World War II this industry received greater diffusionsince propellant technology had advanced and more efficient flights had been achieved.

In 1958, jet aircraft joined the British and American commercial fleets. Thus began a race for innovation in air transport. In 1970, the Boeing 747 arrived, capable of transporting between 360 and 500 people. on regular flights.

The historical success of air transport has been such that it laid the foundations for space flight and space transportation, an industry yet to be developed.

Types of air transport

Broadly speaking, air transport is classified according to two categories:

  • Commercial airplanes. Capable of transporting passengers and small amounts of cargo.
  • Cargo planes. Employed in the transportation of all types of mobile goods, such as raw materials, processed products, etc.

Advantages of air transport

air transport advantages
Air transport can overcome any geographical accident.

The advantages of air transport are clear: cover enormous distances quickly and efficientlyconnecting remote regions, overcoming geographical obstacles (precipices, mountains, etc.) as well as lakes, seas or oceans, in partial or total flights, depending on whether it is necessary to refuel.

This makes it the best way to get around for a person who travels with few objectsand even for relatively moderate quantities of goods, compared to the capacity of ships, trains or other freight vehicles.

Disadvantages of air transport

On the other hand, air transport It is the most expensive method and technologically complicated human transportation system that exists, requiring enormous investments in airports, whose monitoring and coordination of air traffic is constant.

In the same way, They are highly pollutingsince they require the burning of fossil fuels to propel themselves, spreading residual gases throughout the atmosphere as they travel. Finally, although they are rare, plane crashes are a deadly risk not only for the passengers, but also the pilots of the plane and the crew on board.

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Characteristics of cargo aircraft

air transport cargo plane
The planes can carry up to 50 tons of cargo.

Cargo planes are of a different nature. They are classified according to the technology that supports them and their total loading capacity.the latter being the great limitation in all types of flights. An airplane can put a certain amount of weight in the air, no matter what its contents are:

  • A small plane can store up to 30 tons of weight in its cargo hold.
  • A medium-sized aircraft can store between 30 and 50 tons of weight in its cargo hold.
  • A large aircraft can store up to 50 tons of weight in its cargo hold.

Ground transportation

If air transport moves through the air, land transportation moves over landthat is, by the continental surface. That is, through land vehicles equipped with wheels (trucks, cars, etc.) or that run on rails (such as railways).

This type of transport can reach high speeds, depending on its nature, but it is always faced with the geographical features of the Earth's crust and rivers, oceans and lakes.

Maritime transport

For its part, maritime transport is one that is carried out using aquatic vehicles capable of crossing the oceans and seassuch as ships and various types of ships.

This type of transport is essential for commercial exchange between continents or between islands and the mainland. In that sense it is the support of the globalized economy. This category includes cargo ships, oil tankers and vacation cruises, to name a few examples.

Continue in: Maritime transport

References

  • “Air transport” in Wikipedia.
  • “Air transportation: characteristics, advantages and disadvantages” in Setrans, transportation services.
  • “Air transport” in Industrial Engineering On Line.
  • “Advantages and disadvantages of air transport” in MAITSA, Customs Brokerage.
  • “Transportation technology” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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