Ameriflight operation
 

Why is there no such operation in Europe?

Ameriflight succesfully operates 42 PA-31's under Part 135 as feeder freighters.

I keep wondering why anyone would hire a PA-31 to fly a 150NM leg with a tiny cargo when renting a truck is surely much cheaper.

Why are there no such operators in Europe? Purely the fact that there are more big airports in proimity of each other? Are the area's Ameriflight operates that remote even a truck can't reach them?

Just something that puzzles me :)

They have a different System with the Banks in the US. Some of the smaller Operators/Planes are used to fly Checks around the Country.

Ameriflight and it's competitors fly very time-sensitive freight; checks, UPS/Fedex/DHL, donor organs, etc. It can be somewhat surprising what people will pay to ship by air; my company had a contract with the Wall Street Journal for a while; they were printed in Denver, and we flew them to Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, and Billings, MT. See the Strangest Freight thread for more.

Granted, that does not answer your initial question; I too am curious about that.

I think you will the answer in that costs per flight are far higher in Europe. In the US, small planes like Ameriflight uses, have virtually no ATC costs, fuel is cheaper, distances are greater, too. The WSJ routing would cover most of Europe, but no ATC or landing fees.

GF

Checks are rarely, if ever, flown around the US anymore. Now most checks are submitted electronically. The cargo operators mostly fly overnight freight for companies such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.