1948 Opening of the Berlin Airlift

70 years ago, on June 26, 1948, deliveries to West Berlin, completely blocked on June 24 by Soviet troops, of food and other essentials by aircraft of the American and British Air Forces began. Until May 12, 1949, when the blockade was lifted, 2.34 million tons of cargo were delivered via the air bridge, of which 1.78 million tons fell on the US Air Force. Berliners received 1.44 million tons of coal, 490,000 tons of food and 160,000 tons of building materials.