Airlift International (originally Riddle Aviation Company, then Riddle Airlines) was one of the first US cargo airlines, with the same founder, John Paul Riddle, as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 1951, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), a now-defunct Federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all US commercial air transport, certificated Riddle as an "all-cargo carrier," a scheduled freight airline, to fly from New York and Miami to Puerto Rico. This later expanded to include north-south routes on the east coast and midwest. Airlift's headquarters were at Miami International Airport, Florida.
The airline was generally unprofitable, often substantially so, with brief periods of increased revenue and profitability followed by extended declines and debt restructuring; likewise, the airline notably expanded and contracted its fleet several times. Nonetheless, until the 1970s Airlift played a prominent role. Despite losses, it was the subject of repeated changes of control through the early 1960s, including by Arthur Vining Davis, a powerful business leader of the era. Airlift was the first US all-cargo airline to operate jets and a major military contractor during the Vietnam War. In 1966, Airlift bought Slick Airways, another all-cargo carrier and once the largest US freight airline. The CAB gave Slick's trancontinental freight routes to Airlift. In late 1973 Airlift was briefly the subject of a merger agreement with Flying Tiger Line.
The US deregulated air cargo at the end of 1977. Airlift was much the weakest of the three remaining all-cargo airlines and, shorn of protection, quickly succumbed. In May 1981, Airlift ceased operations for over a year, entering bankruptcy in June. It never exited, but lingered in Chapter 11 for over a decade, operating at a low level with a handful of aircraft, including flying turboprops for casinos and prisons, as well as Douglas DC-8 charters. A 1988 Miami Herald article referred to Airlift as "a near-ghost of airlines past." The company last operated June 1992. In August, Hurricane Andrew destroyed two former Airlift aircraft at Miami International Airport. Airlift was the last of the CAB all-cargo carriers to operate. History Founder
John Paul Riddle (1901–1989) was an aviation pioneer, a barnstormer who founded several pilot instruction schools, one of which became Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He also helped create a Brazilian pilot school during World War II which grew into the of the Brazilian Air Force, a school for aviation specialists, the largest such military institute in South America.
Startup J.P. Riddle incorporated Riddle Aviation Company in Florida on 28 May 1945. The carrier's original primary activity was flying to Brazil in support of Riddle's Brazilian aviation school. By 1946 the airline was flying freight from New York to San Juan via Miami. By 1948 the airline achieved stability transporting needlework. Riddle flew raw materials five days a week in Douglas C-47s from Teterboro Airport to Puerto Rico (where skilled needleworkers were paid 1/5 the New York rate) and brought back finished goods (such as fine gloves). Needlework was over 80% of Riddle's business at this time. The carrier was initially an irregular air carrier, but in 1951 the CAB certificated it as a scheduled freight airline between New York and Miami on the one hand and Puerto Rico on the other. See External links for a picture of a Riddle Aviation Co Curtiss C-46. The CAB approved a name change to Riddle Airlines on 3 December 1952.
A decade of ownership and management changes Arthur Vining Davis was a powerful business leader of his time, having built Alcoa and industrialized aluminum in the US. In retirement, he invested heavily in South Florida land and companies. In 1953, investors forced out J. P. Riddle, only for him to regain control in 1954. Shortly thereafter, Davis started buying what became a dominant stake in the airline. In 1955, Riddle won a contract to fly seven C-46s for Logair, an Air Force domestic freight network. Also in 1955, the CAB awarded Riddle some of the north–south domestic cargo routes previously flown by defunct U. S. Airlines, with AAXICO getting the rest. Unfortunately, the new routes, which Riddle launched January 1956, were deeply unprofitable and as Table 1 shows, financial results for 1956–1960 were extremely poor. AAXICO was no more successful, suspending its scheduled routes in 1959. By 1956, Davis owned 38% of Riddle. Davis also had 27% of Mackey Airlines, a small Florida-based international passenger airline, which he put into a trust to satisfy CAB concerns. Davis kept investing in Riddle, including backing new issuances; Riddle went public in July 1956. By 1959, 92-year old Davis owned over 60% of Riddle.
+ Table 1: Riddle Airlines(1) financial results, 1951–1960 USD 000 1951(2) 1952 1953 1954 1955 19561957 1958 1959 1960Op revenue: Scheduled 920 1,594 1,814 2,343 2,376 4,667 6,448 5,188 5,243 4,472 Non-sched 43 186 129 198 235 4,600 4,551 2,268 1,982 Other 16 96 (115) 72 999 923 370 (144) 145 46 Total937 1,733 1,885 2,544 3,573 5,825 11,420 9,596 7,658 6,504 Operating result (22) 12 (331) 186 646 (1,226) (1,883) (2,374) (1,533) (1,826)Net result(28) (2) (396) 102 530 (1,084) (1,731) (3,510) (1,147) (2,094)Op margin (%) -2.3 0.7 -17.5 7.3 18.1 -21.0 -16.5 -24.7 -20.0 -28.1 (1) Until December 1952, Riddle Aviation Company (2) Nine months ending December
Davis replaced J.P. Riddle with a new president in 1958, but in 1959 Riddle lost its Logair contract, leading to a 50% reduction in operations. During 1959, Riddle's fleet collapsed from 40 to 14 aircraft. Davis installed another president, Robert M. Hewitt, previously Davis's partner in aircraft leasing. In 1960, Davis sold most of his stake to a Hewitt-led group; Hewitt estimated Davis lost $5 million (over $55 million in 2026 terms) on his Riddle investment. Hewitt expanded into military charters and transatlantic commercial charters with Douglas DC-7s, and won a Logair contract for bulky freight by acquiring the Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy. Results initially improved, and Riddle became the largest airline military contractor for the year ending June 1962. But Riddle could not operate the Argosy profitably or to the military's satisfaction and returned them in 1962. The next year, the military initially eliminated Riddle as a contractor entirely. Despite being the largest shareholder, Hewitt was forced out in October 1962 in favor of James B. Franklin, a former Capital Airlines executive. A new name, "Airlift International," became effective on CAB approval 16 March 1964. C-46R After World War II, the C-46 was unable to meet standards for passenger aircraft operated by certificated scheduled carriers; it did meet the looser standards for cargo flights and passenger flights on irregular air carriers. In the early 1950s, government standards tightened, forcing modifications so C-46s could meet the higher standards. By 1957, Riddle developed the C-46R, one of three such programs that met the new standards and increased the aircraft's speed, load and safety. Riddle converted at least several dozen aircraft. External links has a photo of the program demonstrator.
Katy the Kangaroo Starting in 1958, Riddle's aircraft tails featured a cartoon kangaroo, with a pouch full of boxes and trailing a cylinder labeled "TNT," with a lit fuse (See External links for a photo). TNT stood for the tagline "Tonight Not Tomorrow" referencing the speed of airfreight. The kangaroo's name was Katy and a live kangaroo made publicity appearances. Riddle created My Fair Katy, a musical number based on My Fair Lady. In 1961, Katy made news by escaping her Miami Airport quarters. In 1963 she was handed to a creditor.
1960s bubble: Vietnam, Slick and a diverse fleet In early 1963, Riddle restructured its debt, as part of which Douglas Aircraft agreed to finance two Douglas DC-8 convertible freighters, the first of which delivered that year, making Airlift the first all-cargo carrier to operate a pure jet and qualifying it for military contracts. 1965 was only the second profitable financial year (ending June) in Airlift's two decade history. The scheduled east-coast system still lost money, but increased demand due to an east-coast dock strike, robust military charter business and a five-day-a-week DC-8 charter for Alitalia lifted the company into profit. Military charters surged. Eight months into the government's fiscal 1966 (also year ending June) Airlift's military charter volume to Europe was double the original $6 million commitment, and the military added a further $3 million contract to fly to Vietnam.
+ Table 2: Airlift International(1) financial results, 1961–1972 USD 000 19611962196319641965196619671968 1969(2)1970(2)1971(2)1972(2)Op revenue: Scheduled 4,210 2,091 4,494 5,711 8,294 10,331 10,094 12,142 14,659 14,127 11,013 Non-sched 19,430 21,717 8,603 9,783 12,854 42,799 56,147 42,794 43,170 38,460 35,054 Other 66 90 1,341 713 2,056 380 381 1,009 914 1,116 108 Total23,706 23,898 14,439 16,208 23,203 53,510 66,623 55,946 58,742 53,703 46,176 47,500 Operating result 853 (235) (694) 995 3,110 8,502 6,611 (3,264) (1,879) (8,615) (1,731) 2,500 Net result(133) (865) (1,627) (416) 1,745 5,475 3,676 (4,395) (5,720) (13,875) (14,123) 500 Op margin (%)3.6 -1.0 -4.8 6.1 13.4 15.9 9.9 -5.8 -3.2 -16.0 -3.7 5.3 (1) Until March 1964, Riddle Airlines (2) Year ending June
After World War II, Slick Airways became the largest air freight carrier, certificated in 1949 to fly a scheduled transcontinental route. Like Airlift, Slick found scheduled domestic air freight unprofitable. It suspended scheduled flights in 1958, resumed in 1962 only to stop again in 1965, leaving it with six aircraft flying military charters to Vietnam. This was a problem because the military awarded long-term contracts only to airlines with a meaningful civil business. Airlift acquired Slick on July 1, 1966. In the following 12 months (year ending June 1967) Airlift flew over $52 million (over $500 million dollars in 2026 terms) in military charters, compared to $19 million the prior year. In 1968, the CAB awarded Airlift Slick's former east-west scheduled freight routes, giving Airlift access to the west coast.