Our Story
Air General
Air General Inc. was founded in 1961, and incorporated in Massachusetts by Robert M. Maloney Sr. Since then, the company has grown and expanded many times and has gained many valued partnerships. Today, Air General is operated by the third generation of the Maloney family. Continue reading below to learn more about our story.
1960 – 1980
The Beginning
The company was initially established as a ground handling company specializing in handling cargo aircraft in Boston. Some of the first airline customers included Lufthansa, British Overseas Air Cargo, Seaboard World Airlines and Zantop Airlines. The operation mainly consisted of loading and unloading aircraft. Stations were established in several cities across the country, including Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, Little Rock and Providence.
During the 1970s Air General had the distinction of being the first ground handling company in the United States to handle the new 747-F all cargo aircraft. The company continued to expand its ground handling contracts through this decade.
A new manpower payroll service contract was established with Air France in Boston. An affiliate company was established to support this new service contract.
Air General expanded into warehouse handling for international airlines. Airport cargo facilities were established in Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston for British Caledonian Airlines. This expansion marked a new direction for the company, which involved the administrative side of the cargo it had previously handled. New levels of expertise were required to process international documents and comply with U.S. Customs regulations.
1981 – 1990
The Next Chapter
In conjunction with the Boston Massport Aviation Authority and The King Interests of Texas, an airport developer, Air General developed a new multi-tenant warehouse and aircraft cargo ramp. This was the first non-airline development at Logan International Airport. Air General became a tenant and managed the 84,000 square foot cargo complex and adjacent cargo ramp. The company was awarded the Japan Airlines warehouse handling contract in the new Boston facility. In addition, Air General established cargo operations for British Airways new gateways in Orlando and Tampa. Ground handling of cargo aircraft continued to be part of the services provided at each of these locations.
The ground handling business in Boston was sold to a local business group. The cost of maintaining capital equipment was excessive in the Northeast. The merger of Purolator and Emery resulted in the loss of several ground handling locations which included Miami, Los Angeles, Little Rock and Providence. An additional manpower labor service contract was initiated in Houston. A new subsidiary company, Aero Trade, was established to support this manpower contract. A new cargo warehouse handling contract was commenced with Japan Airlines in Dallas.
A new operation was initiated for CF Air Freight in Oakland. Air General was invited to establish the Oakland operation based on the service levels provided Emery at other Air General locations. This station is the company’s only ground handling operation today. Emery WorldWide (A CF Company) has continued under contract in Oakland.
The ground handling operations in Atlanta, Orlando and Tampa were discontinued. A determination was made that this segment of the business was more capital intensive than the market would support. The equipment from these stations was transferred to Oakland to support the growing Emery operation. Warehouse operations were maintained at all these locations for its international airline customers Martinair commenced service into Tampa International Airport and chose Air General to handle its cargo operation.
Air General became a thirty percent limited partner in Hillair Orlando Limited Partnership. This partnership was formed to acquire ownership of a cargo facility in Orlando. At the time, Air General leased approximately twenty-five percent of the facility and provided property management services for the partnership.
1991 – 2000
Our First Partners
Virgin Atlantic Airways opened a new gateway in Boston and awarded its cargo handling contract to Air General. Cayman Airways awarded Air General its cargo handling contract for Houston and then Cayman Airways changed its cargo handling contractor in Tampa to Air General. Later in 1992 the Atlanta station was closed due to the loss of the British Airways contract in this city.
Air General initiated cargo handling contracts with Cargolux Airlines and USAir at Houston Intercontinental Airport. A new contract was added to the Tampa operation with Condor Airlines, a subsidiary owned by Lufthansa.
Air General regained the British Airways contracts in Orlando and Tampa in 1995, and was awarded the USAir contracts in Orlando and Tampa. Operations were initiated in Dallas for the handling of UPS bonded cargo.
U.S. Airways contracted Air General to handle its Washington, D.C. cargo and mail operation in 1998. The scope of this contract entailed hiring and training 45 new employees for a startup time line of 30 days. Over the years Air General would grow to become the sole cargo handler at DCA adding contracts with United/Continental, Delta, Frontier and Alaska.
2001 – 2010
Partnering with More Airways
U.S. Airways chose Air General from a field of six cargo handling companies to operate its newly expanded international and domestic hub city of Charlotte. The scope of this project entails management of US cargo operations with 94 employees. Charlotte’s activities include 750 flights a day plus 11 International flights.
In 2001 Air General acquired Airport Logistics Inc. Airport Logistics Inc. brought seven new cities, seventy four employees, and several carriers that Air General had not worked with. The new cities are: Allentown, Nashville, Detroit, Lexington, Louisville, St. Louis and New Orleans.
Lufthansa became an Air General client again in 2005 adding our air cargo services in Charlotte, NC (CLT) and Dulles, VA (IAD).
