Book: 100 years of commercial aviation

Hermes Air Transport Club presented the book, 100 Years of Commercial Aviation, the Centennial Air Transport Awards, and named Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of ICAO, the first Honorary Member of the Club.

In Montreal on December 7, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Chicago Convention, in a spectacular event in the presence of the leaders of the air transport sector, the Centennial Awards were presented. Organized by the Hermes Air Transport Club, the awards were presented at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal last night.

Given this remarkable historical context, Hermes commemorated the centenary of commercial aviation and the 70th anniversary of the Chicago Convention in two ways. First, Hermes published a commemorative book highlighting the most momentous milestones in air transport and entitled 100 Years of Commercial Aviation. This commemorative book, written in partnership with the major aviation organizations, ICAO, ACI, CANSO and IATA, and with the sponsorship of SITA, was launched at the beginning of the ceremonies. Hermes with its partners has made the book available as an e-book free of charge at the link.

Dr Kostas Iatrou, Administrator of Hermes Air Transport Club and author of the book stated: Over the last 111 years, and especially since the dawn of commercial aviation in 1914, humankind has managed to make huge steps in aviation. From what was originally an expensive, for-adventurers pursuit, flying has now become accessible to all. Without aviation, the world would be a completely different place. The air transport industry has become a key component in the globalization of the world, with airlines traveling across national borders transporting people and cargo.

The book provides a timeline of key milestones in commercial air transport history. It gives an understanding of the path air transport has followed to become a major contributor to modern society by bringing together people from around the world, allowing for the exploration of the wonders of our planet, and by playing an important humanitarian role, for example through emergency assistance and through opportunities for family reunification. The air transport industry remains a fascinating sector. Its future will undoubtedly will bring new adventures -flights in orbit – and wondrous new technologies- flying with solar energy.

Vijay Poonoosamy, President of Hermes Air Transport Club said: ”As we celebrate the 100 years of commercial aviation and the 70 years of ICAO let us remember the strategic value of air transport as a catalyst for socio-economic growth, job creation and as a key enabler of international trade.”

Second, Hermes created a special set of Centennial Air Transport Awards. Given the many changes that have taken place in aviation, Hermes thought it fitting to present the Centennial Air Transport Awards to firms representing the following:

The six longest operating airlines:
-KLM (1919)
-Avianca (1919)
-Qantas (1920)
-Aeroflot (1923)
-CSA Czech Airlines (1923)
-Finnair (1923)

The five commercial airport with the longest operations history:
-Hamburg Airport (1911)
-Flughafen Bremen (1913)
-Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (1919)
-Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (1920)
-Sydney Airport (1920)

The aircraft manufacturer that been operating for the longest time:
-Boeing

Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM: “KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is very honored to receive this prestigious award ´for longest operating airline’. While on its way to 100 years, in its core, KLM is a dynamic, customer centric and innovative airline offering 24/7 customer service via social media; helping in the development of biofuel and re-using old KLM uniforms for its onboard carpet to name just a few examples”.

“On behalf of all Qantas employees, it’s an honour to be recognised with this award in commercial aviation’s 100th year,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. “We’re very proud of the leadership role that Qantas has played and continues to play in the development of global aviation.”

Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport stated: “We are very proud and thankful to get this brand new award for 104-years-history of Hamburg Airport.

In January 2015, Hamburg Airport will look back at a history spanning 104 years. Hamburg is one the oldest airport in the world which is still located at its original site. Hamburg Airport started with 241 passengers in 1920. In 1960, 935.000 Passengers flew from Hamburg. In 2000, Hamburg Airport already had 9.9 Million people flying from there and today, Hamburg Airport has almost 14.7 Million passengers.

This history brings with it significant responsibility for the environment and for the neighboring community. 104 years ago we were a long way outside the city gates but now we are surrounded by the city. Today, Hamburg Airport is the largest airport in northern Germany and the fifth-largest in the whole country. Almost 70 airlines connect Hamburg directly with over 120 destinations all over the world. With its powerful economy and a catchment area of over 4 million people, Hamburg is a gateway to the world, dependent on a reliable platform for interconnected mobility.”

In addition, special awards were given to the key international aviation organisations, namely ICAO, ACI, CANSO, IATA and SITA, for their contribution to air transport.

“ICAO is honoured to have been recognized by Hermes Air Transport Club on this occasion, and we are also very grateful to its leadership for the vision and effort which obviously went into the development of its new publication on 100 Years of Commercial Aviation,” commented ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “On the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Chicago Convention and the establishment of ICAO, it is ICAO’s firm hope that we will find opportunities to work with Hermes, in addition to our Member States and other stakeholders, to further increase the level of implementation of ICAO Standards and ensure that there is No Country Left Behind where ICAO’s cooperative efforts towards that objective are concerned.”

“ACI has long been dedicated to shining a spotlight on airports’ contribution to the aviation industry on the worldwide stage,” Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI said. “Aviation’s global economic impact is estimated at US$2.4 trillion, and airports have proven themselves to be drivers of local economies and engines for the growth of towns, cities, regions and even continents. This significant contribution would not be possible without a clear focus on safety, security, environmental and economic sustainability and customer service.”

Accepting the award on behalf of CANSO, Jeff Poole, Director General, said: “CANSO is delighted to receive this Centennial Air Transport Award in recognition of its contributions to air transport as the global voice of air traffic management (ATM). At 18 years old, CANSO is a relatively new organisation in aviation but we enter its next century with strong membership across the ATM industry and a strong commitment to the transformation of global ATM performance.”

“This year we are celebrating two important milestones—the first century of commercial aviation and the 70th Anniversary of the Chicago Convention. In a relatively short space of time, and guided by the Chicago Convention in the post-War period, aviation has grown to be critical to modern life. As we look ahead to aviation’s second century all signs indicate that demand for connectivity will grow. Success will be defined much as it has until now—through constantly improving safety, security, convenience and sustainability. It is an honor to have IATA’s historic contributions and continuing role recognized by the Hermes Air Transport Club,” said Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO of IATA.

“SITA, at the forefront of information and communication technology in the air transport industry for more than 65 years, is proud to partner with the Hermes Air Transport Club book 100 Years of Commercial Aviation as the industry celebrates this milestone,” stated Francesco Violante, CEO, SITA. “In addition, we are very honored to be recognized by the organization for our contribution to the air transport industry and look forward to working with the industry to shape the next 100 years of aviation.”

At the ceremony Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of ICAO, became the first Honorary Member of Hermes. He remarked that: “It is certainly an honour for me to have been named as the First Honorary Member of the Hermes Air Transport Club today. The aims and activities of Hermes in promoting the development of international air transport certainly support ICAO’s mission and objectives and we will look forward to working with Hermes in the future on our shared objectives.”

The event was sponsored by Athens International Airport.

About Hermes Air Transport Club:

Hermes Air Transport Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of the aviation sector with the following aims:

A. To provide a forum for networking and the exchange of ideas among its members;
B. To contribute to the progress and promotion of the science of air transport;
C. To promote and present to the wider public the work of aviation and its contribution to the economic, political and social development around the world;
D. To cooperate with Higher Education Establishments and other organizations engaged in aviation;

The founding members of Hermes are key participants in all facets of the air transport sector. Leading Hermes is a Board of Directors comprised of the following individuals:

-Vijay Poonoosamy, President
-Robert Deillon, Vice President
-Jeff Poole, Member
-Prof. Martin Dresner, Member