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Airmail Services

  • 28-02-2013 10:21pm
    #1
    aw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 786 ✭✭✭


    Something I have often wondered about is airmail and how it works.

    How is it routed?
    Who carries it?
    etc

    I was reminded and inspired by a mousemat I ordered thanks to a post in Bargain Alerts.
    I ordered it Friday and An Post brought it to me today. It was posted from Hong Kong.
    That's an impressive timescale.

    So my mousemat from Hong Kong...

    Would it have come in the hold of a commercial London/Hong Kong flight and then processed by Royal Mail and forwarded to Dublin and An Post?

    Or maybe they don't process post in Hong Kong and it was forwarded to Beijing and then to somewhere else?

    Is there a general international map of postal "routes" that companies follow?

    I assume that smaller countries like Ireland would forward their mail on through larger hubs for onward processing. So, if I were posting something to South Africa, would it go to London first and then on a SA flight?

    The airline cargo service would then bill Royal Mail who in turn would bill An Post for the service?

    It's fascinating and I would be grateful for any info.


Comments

  • #2
    E.S.T.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭E.S.T.


    Not sure about Ireland but here in the US the post office contracts with regular airlines and cargo airlines to transport the mail for them. They normally then load the plane with the more expensive faster service mail getting priority over packages/letters with lower priced service that might get left behind for the next flight if there is no room. If there is room on the plane this means that many times mail that gets sent with lower priced service will get there in the same time as more expensive mailing service. As far as mail passing though another territory, I believe this is all regulated by the United Nations with all mail being treated equal and agreed upon rates for mail that transits another country.


  • #3
    donkey balls
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,555 ✭✭✭donkey balls


    Air mail normally goes in the cargo holds of commercial aircraft and would be bagged labeled for the destination country,Most airlines would have contracts with the countries postal service providers to transport mail and parcels in and out of the countries Airports.
    Take the likes of EI & SAS they transport mail/parcels on their aircraft along with the US carriers in and out of Ireland,LHR more than likely has a Royal Mail center for the processing of mail along with other key airports throughout the world.
    As for cargo operators ACL operates on behalf of the French postal services the last Time I heard,Back in 2001 USPS decided to award a contract to Fedex to haul air mail throughout the USA as the carrier that they used was not that reliable.
    By Fedex getting the contract it was a win win situation for them as most of their aircraft would be parked up during the day as they normally flew at night time,About 30 DC/MD10 were used which required hiring of extra staff from pilots /engineers/ground ops etc.
    And what really saved USPS ass was the contract with Fedex started a few months before 9/11 and in the aftermath of 9/11 all air mail was banned from been carried on commercial pax aircraft in the USA.


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