75th Anniversary: ACW through the decades

1980

• The U.S. FAA orders all U.S. carriers to prepare and implement a security program to protect against unauthorized explosives and incendiary devices.
• Purolator Courier, an armored car service, begins air express operations in Indianapolis.

1981

• In October, UPS begins air operations using three ex-Braniff Airlines 727Fs between Portland, Ore., Chicago Midway and Worcester, Mass.

1982

• Airbus debuts the A310, its second aircraft line.

1983

• Communications Channels Inc. purchases AirCargo, changes the name of the magazine to Air Cargo World and moves the operation to Atlanta.

1984

• British billionaire Richard Branson launches Virgin Atlantic Airways.
• Federal Express begins international express service to Europe and Asia.

1985

• United Arab Emirates creates its own airline, Emirates.
• Emery Air Freight purchases Purolator Courier.
• DHL opens a hub in Brussels for intra-Europe express.

1986

• UPS makes Louisville, Ky., it’s new air services hub.
• Federal Express cancels its fax-based “Zapmail” electronic document services, resulting in a pre-tax write-off of $340 million.

1988

• UPS launches its own airline.

1989

• Ailing Emery Worldwide is purchased by Consolidated Freightways in April
• KLM buys a 20 percent stake in Northwest Airlines in July.
• Federal Express purchases the Flying Tiger Line for $850 million, the largest merger in air cargo history at the time.