Editing Airline (section)

==History==
===The first airlines===
[[DELAG]], ''Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft I'' was the [[List of airlines by foundation date|world's first airline]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.airships.net/delag-passenger-zeppelins |title=DELAG: The World's First Airline, using dirgibles. |publisher=Airships.net |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> It was founded on November 16, 1909, with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by The [[Zeppelin|Zeppelin Corporation]]. Its headquarters were in [[Frankfurt]].

The first [[fixed-wing]] scheduled airline was started on January 1, 1914. The flight was piloted by Tony Jannus<ref>{{Cite web |last=Airways |date=2023-08-13 |title=The History of Commercial Flight: How Global Travel Took off |url=https://airwaysmag.com/how-global-travel-took-off/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Airways |language=en-US}}</ref> and flew from [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], to [[Tampa, Florida]], operated by the [[St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.space.com/16657-worlds-first-commercial-airline-the-greatest-moments-in-flight.html|title=World's First Commercial Airline {{!}} The Greatest Moments in Flight|work=Space.com|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

===Europe===
====Beginnings====
[[File:Klm-poster-1919.jpg|thumb|upright|A 1919 advertisement for the Dutch airline [[KLM]], founded on October 7, 1919, the [[List of airlines by foundation date|oldest running airline still operating under its original name]]]]

[[File:Tanken van een vliegtuig Airplane provided with fuel.jpg|thumb|The [[Handley Page Type W|Handley Page W.8b]] was used by [[Handley Page Transport]], an early British airline established in 1919.]]
The earliest fixed wing airline in Europe was [[Aircraft Transport and Travel]], formed by [[George Holt Thomas]] in 1916; via a series of takeovers and mergers, this company is an ancestor of modern-day [[British Airways]]. Using a fleet of former military [[Airco DH.4]]A biplanes that had been modified to carry two passengers in the [[fuselage]], it operated relief flights between [[Folkestone]] and [[Ghent]], Belgium. On July 15, 1919, the company flew a proving flight across the [[English Channel]], despite a lack of support from the British government. Flown by Lt. H Shaw in an [[Airco DH.9]] between [[RAF Hendon]] and [[Paris – Le Bourget Airport]], the flight took 2 hours and 30 minutes at £21 per passenger.

On August 25, 1919, the company used [[Airco DH.16|DH.16s]] to pioneer a regular service from [[Hounslow Heath Aerodrome]] to Paris's [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport|Le Bourget]], the first regular international service in the world. The airline soon gained a reputation for reliability, despite problems with bad weather, and began to attract European competition. In November 1919, it won the first British civil [[airmail]] contract. Six [[Royal Air Force]] [[Airco DH.9A]] aircraft were lent to the company, to operate the airmail service between [[Hawkinge]] and [[Cologne]]. In 1920, they were returned to the Royal Air Force.<ref>''The Putnam Aeronautical Review'' edited by John Motum, p170 Volume one 1990 Naval Institute Press</ref>

Other British competitors were quick to follow – [[Handley Page Transport]] was established in 1919 and used the company's converted [[World War I|wartime]] [[Handley Page Type O|Type O/400]] [[bomber]]s with a capacity for 12 passengers,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1961/1961%20-%200055.PDF |title=The First Handley Page Transports |access-date=14 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413004211/https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1961/1961%20-%200055.PDF |archive-date=13 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to run a [[London]]-[[Paris]] passenger service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.airlinehistory.co.uk/Airline%20History/History1903.asp|title=Airline History 1903 to 1919|website=www.airlinehistory.co.uk|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

The first French airline was [[Aéropostale (aviation)|Société des lignes Latécoère]], later known as Aéropostale, which started its first service in late 1918 to Spain. The [[Société Générale des Transports Aériens]] was created in late 1919, by the [[Farman]] brothers and the [[Farman F.60 Goliath]] plane flew scheduled services from [[Toussus-le-Noble]] to [[Kenley]], near [[Croydon]], England. Another early French airline was the [[Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes]], established in 1919 by [[Louis-Charles Breguet]], offering a mail and freight service between [[Paris – Le Bourget Airport|Le Bourget Airport]], [[Paris]] and [[Lesquin Airport]], [[Lille]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/world/1919.cfm |title=World Aviation in 1919 - Part 1 |publisher=Royal Air Force Museum |access-date=28 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105130943/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/world/1919.cfm |archive-date=5 January 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00007, Berlin, Start eines Junkers-Flugzeuges.jpg|thumb| [[Junkers F.13]] ''D-190'' of [[Junkers Luftverkehr]]]]
The first German airline to use heavier than air aircraft was [[Deutsche Luft-Reederei]] established in 1917 which started operating in February 1919. In its first year, the D.L.R. operated regularly scheduled flights on routes with a combined length of nearly 1000 miles. By 1921 the D.L.R. network was more than 3000&nbsp;km (1865 miles) long, and included destinations in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the Baltic Republics. Another important German airline was [[Junkers Luftverkehr]], which began operations in 1921. It was a division of the aircraft manufacturer [[Junkers]], which became a separate company in 1924. It operated joint-venture airlines in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] airline [[KLM]] made its first flight in 1920, and is the oldest continuously operating airline in the world. Established by aviator [[Albert Plesman]],<ref>{{cite journal|journal=International Directory of Company Histories|year=1999|volume=28|title=Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, N.V. History| url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/koninklijke-luchtvaart-maatschappij-n-v-history/|access-date=30 July 2013}}</ref> it was immediately awarded a "Royal" predicate from [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.klm.com/corporate/en/about-klm/history/index.html|work=KLM Corporate|publisher=KLM|access-date=30 July 2013}}</ref> Its first flight was from [[Croydon Airport]], [[London]] to [[Amsterdam]], using a leased [[Aircraft Transport and Travel]] [[Airco DH.16|DH-16]], and carrying two British journalists and a number of newspapers. In 1921, KLM started scheduled services.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|title=Celebrating KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 100th Anniversary|first=Joseph|last=Alba|date=7 October 2019|publisher=Metropolitan Airport News|quote=In 1921, KLM started scheduled services.|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

In [[Finland]], the charter establishing Aero O/Y (now [[Finnair]]) was signed in the city of [[Helsinki]] on 12 September 1923. [[Junkers F.13]] D-335 became the first aircraft of the company, when Aero took delivery of it on 14 March 1924. The first flight was between Helsinki and [[Tallinn]], capital of [[Estonia]], and it took place on 20 March 1924, one week later.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finnair's first flight took place 90 years ago {{!}} Finavia |url=https://www.finavia.fi/en/newsroom/2014/finnairs-first-flight-took-place-90-years-ago |website=www.finavia.fi |access-date=7 May 2020 |language=en |date=19 March 2014}}</ref>

In the [[Soviet Union]], the Chief Administration of the Civil Air Fleet was established in 1921. One of its first acts was to help found Deutsch-Russische Luftverkehrs A.G. (Deruluft), a German-Russian joint venture to provide air transport from Russia to the West. Domestic air service began around the same time, when Dobrolyot started operations on 15 July 1923 between Moscow and Nizhni Novgorod. Since 1932 all operations had been carried under the name [[Aeroflot]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aeroflot.ru/us-en/about/history|title=Aeroflot History {{!}} Aeroflot|website=www.aeroflot.ru|language=en|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

Early European airlines tended to favor comfort – the passenger cabins were often spacious with luxurious interiors – over speed and efficiency. The relatively basic navigational capabilities of pilots at the time also meant that delays due to the weather were commonplace.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of flight - The first airlines|url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/history-of-flight|access-date=14 September 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

====Rationalization====
[[File:National Audit Office - Victoria - London - 020504.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|The [[Imperial Airways]] Empire Terminal, [[Victoria, London]]. Trains ran from here to [[flying boats]] in [[Southampton]], and to [[Croydon Airport]].]]
By the early 1920s, small airlines were struggling to compete, and there was a movement towards increased rationalization and consolidation. In 1924, [[Imperial Airways]] was formed from the merger of [[Instone Air Line|Instone Air Line Company]], [[British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd|British Marine Air Navigation]], [[Daimler Airway]] and [[Handley Page Transport]], to allow British airlines to compete with stiff competition from French and German airlines that were enjoying heavy government subsidies. The airline was a pioneer in surveying and opening up air routes across the world to serve far-flung parts of the [[British Empire]] and to enhance trade and integration.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1923/1923%20-%200760.html |title = Imperial Air Transport Company: Appointment of Government Directors|work = Flight|date = 20 December 1923|page = 760}}</ref>

The first new airliner ordered by Imperial Airways, was the [[Handley Page W8f]] ''City of Washington'', delivered on 3 November 1924.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/imperial%20airways.htm |title=Imperial Airways |access-date=1 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923201958/http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/imperial%20airways.htm |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the first year of operation the company carried 11,395 passengers and 212,380 letters. In April 1925, the film ''[[The Lost World (1925 film)|The Lost World]]'' became the first film to be screened for passengers on a scheduled airliner flight when it was shown on the London-Paris route.

Two French airlines also merged to form [[Air Union]] on 1 January 1923. This later merged with four other French airlines to become [[Air France]], the country's flagship carrier to this day, on 17 May 1933.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Britannica Concise Encyclopedia|publisher=Britannica Digital Learning|year=2017|pages=Air France|via=Credo Reference}}</ref>

Germany's [[Deutsche Lufthansa]] was created in 1926 by merger of two airlines, one of them [[Junkers Luftverkehr]]. Lufthansa, due to the [[Hugo Junkers|Junkers]] heritage and unlike most other airlines at the time, became a major investor in airlines outside of Europe, providing capital to [[Varig]] and Avianca. German airliners built by [[Junkers (Aircraft)|Junkers]], [[Dornier GmbH|Dornier]], and [[Fokker]] were among the most advanced in the world at the time.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

====Expansion====
In 1926, [[Alan Cobham]] surveyed a flight route from the UK to [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]], following this up with another proving flight to [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]. Other routes to [[British India]] and the [[Far East]] were also charted and demonstrated at this time. Regular services to [[Cairo]] and [[Basra]] began in 1927 and were extended to [[Karachi]] in 1929. The London-[[Australia]] service was inaugurated in 1932 with the [[Handley Page HP 42]] airliners. Further services were opened up to [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], [[Rangoon]], [[Singapore]], [[Brisbane]] and [[Hong Kong]] passengers departed London on 14 March 1936 following the establishment of a branch from Penang to Hong Kong.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

[[File:Imperial routes April 1935.jpg|thumb|April 1935 map showing [[Imperial Airways]]' routes from the [[United Kingdom|UK]] to [[Australia]] and [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]]]France began an air mail service to [[Morocco]] in 1919 that was bought out in 1927, renamed [[Aéropostale (aviation)|Aéropostale]], and injected with capital to become a major international carrier. In 1933, Aéropostale went [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]], was nationalized and merged into [[Air France]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of AEROPOSTALE. |url=http://postale.free.fr/aeropostale.htm |website=Aeropostale |access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref>

Although Germany lacked colonies, it also began expanding its services globally. In 1931, the airship [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|Graf Zeppelin]] began offering regular scheduled passenger service between Germany and South America, usually every two weeks, which continued until 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/lz127-graf-zeppelin/history |title=LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin |publisher=Airships.net |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> In 1936, the airship [[LZ 129 Hindenburg|Hindenburg]] entered passenger service and successfully crossed the Atlantic 36 times before crashing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 6 May 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airships.net/hindenburg |title=Hindenburg |publisher=Airships.net |date=10 June 2009 |access-date=22 August 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101005073820/http://www.airships.net/hindenburg| archive-date= 5 October 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> In 1938, a weekly air service from Berlin to [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]], started operating.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://books.stonebooks.com/history/afghanistan.shtml |title=Stone & Stone: History Page |access-date=18 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306105124/http://books.stonebooks.com/history/afghanistan.shtml |archive-date=6 March 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

From February 1934 until World War II began in 1939, [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]] operated an airmail service from [[Stuttgart]], [[Germany]] via [[Spain]], the [[Canary Islands]] and West Africa to [[Natal, Rio Grande do Norte|Natal]] in [[Brazil]]. This was the first time an airline flew across an ocean.<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pigDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1931+plane&pg=PA13 |title=First Transatlantic Air Line Links Two Continents|date=February 1933 |journal=Popular Science|pages = 13–15 and 104|volume = 122|issue = 2|editor-last = Brown|editor-first = Raymond J.}}</ref><ref name="Graue&Duggan">James W. Graue & John Duggan "Deutsche Lufthansa South Atlantic Airmail Service 1934–1939", Zeppelin Study Group, Ickenham, UK 2000 {{ISBN|0-9514114-5-4}}</ref>

By the end of the 1930s [[Aeroflot]] had become the world's largest airline, employing more than 4,000 pilots and 60,000 other service personnel and operating around 3,000 aircraft (of which 75% were considered obsolete by its own standards). During the Soviet era Aeroflot was synonymous with Russian civil aviation, as it was the only air carrier. It became the first airline in the world to operate sustained regular jet services on 15 September 1956 with the [[Tupolev Tu-104]].<ref>{{cite web |title=First sustained jet airline service |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-sustained-jet-airline-service/ |access-date=10 March 2020}}</ref>

====Deregulation====
Deregulation of the [[European Union]] airspace in the early 1990s has had substantial effect on the structure of the industry there. The shift towards 'budget' airlines on shorter routes has been significant. Airlines such as [[EasyJet]] and [[Ryanair]] have often grown at the expense of the traditional national airlines.

There has also been a trend for these national airlines themselves to be privatized such as has occurred for [[Aer Lingus]] and [[British Airways]]. Other national airlines, including Italy's [[Alitalia]], suffered – particularly with the rapid increase of oil prices in early 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/alitalia-future-hinges-on-rescue-package/a-1320328|title=Alitalia Future Hinges on Rescue Package|date=7 September 2004|website=DW.COM|language=en|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

===United States===
{{main|Air transportation in the United States}}

====Early development====
[[File:TWA 1940.jpg|thumb|[[TWA]] [[Douglas DC-3]] in 1940. The DC-3, often regarded as one of the most influential aircraft in the history of commercial aviation, revolutionized air travel.]]

[[Tony Jannus]] conducted the United States' first scheduled commercial airline flight on January 1, 1914, for the [[St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line]].<ref name="Society">{{cite web|title=Tony Jannus, an enduring legacy of aviation|url=http://www.tonyjannusaward.com/history/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717073628/http://www.tonyjannusaward.com/history/|archive-date=17 July 2011|access-date=2 December 2010|work=Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society|publisher=tonyjannusaward.com}}</ref> The 23-minute flight traveled between [[St. Petersburg, Florida]] and [[Tampa, Florida]], passing some {{convert|50|ft|m}} above Tampa Bay in Jannus' [[Benoist XIV]] wood and muslin biplane flying boat. His passenger was a former mayor of St. Petersburg, who paid $400 for the privilege of sitting on a wooden bench in the open cockpit. The Airboat line operated for about four months, carrying more than 1,200 passengers who paid $5 each.<ref>Carey, Susan, First airline offered no frills, many thrills, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', December 31, 2013, p. B4</ref> [[Chalk's International Airlines]] began service between Miami and Bimini in the [[Bahamas]] in February 1919. Based in [[Ft. Lauderdale]], Chalk's claimed to be the oldest continuously operating airline in the United States until its closure in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airportbusiness.com/web/online/Top-News-Headlines/CHALKS-AIRLINES-LOSES-FLIGHT-LICENSE-ITS-AIRPORT-LEASE-COULD-BE-CANCELED/1$15115 |title=Chalks Airlines Loses Flight License |publisher=airportbusiness.com |access-date=2 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927221010/http://www.airportbusiness.com/web/online/Top-News-Headlines/CHALKS-AIRLINES-LOSES-FLIGHT-LICENSE-ITS-AIRPORT-LEASE-COULD-BE-CANCELED/1$15115 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following [[World War I]], the United States found itself swamped with aviators. Many decided to take their war-surplus aircraft on barnstorming campaigns, performing aerobatic maneuvers to woo crowds. In 1918, the [[United States Post Office Department]] won the financial backing of [[United States Congress|Congress]] to begin experimenting with [[air mail]] service, initially using [[Curtiss Jenny]]<ref>Amick, George. "How The Airmail Got Off The Ground." American History 33.3 (1998): 48. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 November 2011.</ref> aircraft that had been procured by the [[United States Army Air Service]]. Private operators were the first to fly the mail but due to numerous accidents the US Army was tasked with mail delivery. During the Army's involvement they proved to be too unreliable and lost their air mail duties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/airmail-service-it-began-with-army-air-service-pilots.htm|title=Airmail Service: It Began with Army Air Service Pilots|website=www.historynet.com|date=12 June 2006|language=en-US|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref> By the mid-1920s, the Post Office had developed its own air mail network, based on a transcontinental backbone between [[New York City]] and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]].<ref>Clark, Anders (22 August 2014). "[https://disciplesofflight.com/big-arrow/ Now That's a Big Arrow]". Disciples of Flight. Retrieved 16 July 2015</ref> To supplement this service, they offered twelve contracts for spur routes to independent bidders. Some of the carriers that won these routes would, through time and mergers, evolve into [[Pan Am]], [[Delta Air Lines]], [[Braniff Airways]], [[American Airlines]], [[United Airlines]] (originally a division of [[Boeing]]), [[Trans World Airlines]], [[Northwest Airlines]], and [[Eastern Air Lines]].

Service during the early 1920s was sporadic: most airlines at the time were focused on [[airmail#History|carrying bags of mail]]. In 1925, however, the [[Ford Motor Company]] bought out the [[William Bushnell Stout|Stout Aircraft Company]] and began construction of the all-metal [[Ford Trimotor]], which became the first successful American airliner. With a 12-passenger capacity, the Trimotor made passenger service potentially profitable.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/current/airmail-in-america/the-airplanes/the-ford-trimotor.html | title = The Ford Trimotor and Douglas M-2 Mail Planes | work = Postal Museum | access-date = 27 July 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191006013802/https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/current/airmail-in-america/the-airplanes/the-ford-trimotor.html | archive-date = 6 October 2019 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Air service was seen as a supplement to [[rail transport|rail]] service in the American transportation network.

At the same time, [[Juan Trippe]] began a crusade to create an air network that would link America to the world, and he achieved this goal through his airline, [[Pan Am]], with a fleet of flying boats that linked [[Los Angeles]] to [[Shanghai]] and [[Boston]] to [[London]]. Pan Am and Northwest Airways (which began flights to Canada in the 1920s) were the only U.S. airlines to go international before the 1940s.

With the introduction of the [[Boeing 247]] and [[Douglas DC-3]] in the 1930s, the U.S. airline industry was generally profitable, even during the [[Great Depression]]. This trend continued until the beginning of [[World War II]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ASLAUrX3UE8C&q=boeing+247+profitable&pg=PA62|title=A Companion to International History 1900–2001|last=Martel|first=Gordon|date=15 April 2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780470766293|language=en}}</ref>

====Since 1945====
[[File:Stratocruiser op Schiphol, Bestanddeelnr 903-5913.jpg|thumb|[[Boeing 377]] of [[American Export Airlines]], the first airline to offer landplane flights across the North Atlantic in October 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/atlantic_route/Tran4.htm |title=Air Transportation: The Beginnings of Commercial Transatlantic Service |publisher=centennialofflight.net |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref>]]

World War II, like World War I, brought new life to the airline industry. Many airlines in the Allied countries were flush from lease contracts to the military, and foresaw a future explosive demand for civil air transport, for both passengers and cargo. They were eager to invest in the newly emerging flagships of air travel such as the [[Boeing Stratocruiser]], [[Lockheed Constellation]], and [[Douglas DC-6]]. Most of these new aircraft were based on American bombers such as the [[B-29]], which had spearheaded research into new technologies such as [[pressurization]]. Most offered increased efficiency from both added speed and greater payload.<ref>{{Cite web|title=history of airliners 1950 to 1959|url=http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/airliners/2nd%20upload/timeline%2050s1.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517084004/http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/airliners/2nd%20upload/timeline%2050s1.htm|archive-date=17 May 2008|access-date=14 October 2017|website=www.century-of-flight.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jal.com/en/history/aircraft/60s/pick_61-70_01.html|title=History of JAL {{!}} DC-8-32|website=www.jal.com|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

In the 1950s, the [[De Havilland Comet]], [[Boeing 707]], [[Douglas DC-8]], and [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]] became the first flagships of the Jet Age in the West, while the Eastern bloc had [[Tupolev Tu-104]] and [[Tupolev Tu-124]] in the fleets of state-owned carriers such as Czechoslovak [[Czech Airlines|ČSA]], Soviet [[Aeroflot]] and East-German [[Interflug]]. The [[Vickers Viscount]] and [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]] inaugurated turboprop transport.

On 4 October 1958, [[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] started [[transatlantic flight]]s between [[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]] and [[New York-Idlewild Airport|New York Idlewild]] with a Comet 4, and [[Pan Am]] followed on 26 October with a Boeing 707 service between New York and Paris.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-how-the-jet-travel-era-began-in-earnest-449222/ |title= How the jet travel era began in earnest – 60 years ago |date= 4 October 2018 |author= Max Kingsley Jones |work= Flightglobal}}</ref>

The next big boost for the airlines would come in the 1970s, when the [[Boeing 747]], [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], and [[Lockheed L-1011]] inaugurated [[widebody]] ("jumbo jet") service, which is still the standard in international travel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-747-first-flight-47years-ago-2016-2|title=The Boeing 747 jumbo jet changed air travel with this momentous event 47 years ago|work=Business Insider|access-date=14 October 2017|language=en}}</ref> The [[Tupolev Tu-144]] and its Western counterpart, [[Concorde]], made supersonic travel a reality.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.history.com/news/the-cold-war-race-to-build-the-concorde|title=The Cold War Race to Build the Concorde|work=HISTORY.com|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref> Concorde first flew in 1969 and operated through 2003. In 1972, [[Airbus]] began producing Europe's most commercially successful line of airliners to date. The added efficiencies for these aircraft were often not in speed, but in passenger capacity, payload, and range. Airbus also features modern electronic cockpits that were common across their aircraft to enable pilots to fly multiple models with minimal cross-training.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/jetage/jetage17.cfm|title = The Computer Revolution in the Cockpit &#124; America by Air}}</ref>

====Deregulation====
[[File:Pan Am Boeing 747 at Zurich Airport in May 1985.jpg|thumb|[[Pan Am]] [[Boeing 747]] ''Clipper Neptune's Car'' in 1985. The deregulation of the American airline industry increased the financial troubles of the airline which ultimately filed for bankruptcy in December 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/Bankruptcy/Tran9.htm |title=Air Transportation: The Airline Bankruptcies of the 1980s |publisher=centennialofflight.net |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref>]]

The 1978 U.S. [[Airline deregulation act|airline industry deregulation]] lowered federally controlled barriers for new airlines just as a downturn in the nation's economy occurred. New start-ups entered during the downturn, during which time they found aircraft and funding, contracted hangar and maintenance services, trained new employees, and recruited laid-off staff from other airlines.

Major airlines dominated their routes through aggressive pricing and additional capacity offerings, often swamping new start-ups. In the place of high barriers to entry imposed by regulation, the major airlines implemented an equally high barrier called [[loss leader]] pricing.<ref name="Andrew R. Thomas">{{cite news|url=http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/current-affairs/9781430236771|title=Mr. Soft Landing: Airline Industry Strategy, Service, and Safety|publisher=Apress|year=2007|access-date=7 May 2012|archive-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602002044/http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/current-affairs/9781430236771|url-status=dead}}</ref> In this strategy an already established and dominant airline stomps out its competition by lowering airfares on specific routes, below the cost of operating on it, choking out any chance a start-up airline may have. The industry side effect is an overall drop in revenue and service quality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://asq.org/quality-report/10-year-analysis.html |website =American Society of Quality (ASQ)|title = The American Society for Quality Debuts Quarterly Quality Report with 10-Year Analysis}}</ref> Since deregulation in 1978 the average domestic ticket price has dropped by 40%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html |publisher =Massachusetts Institute of Technology|title = Airline Industry Overview}}</ref> So has airline employee pay. By incurring massive losses, the airlines of the USA now rely upon a scourge of cyclical Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings to continue doing business.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2011/12/blame_jimmy_carter_for_all_the_airline_bankruptcies_or_better_yet_thank_him_.html |title=Air Fail|publisher = Slate |work = Moneybox|date = 1 December 2011|last = Yglesias|first = Matthew}}</ref> [[America West Airlines]] (which has since merged with US Airways) remained a significant survivor from this new entrant era, as dozens, even hundreds, have gone under.

In many ways, the biggest winner in the deregulated environment was the air passenger. Although not exclusively attributable to deregulation, indeed the U.S. witnessed an explosive growth in demand for air travel. Many millions who had never or rarely flown before became regular fliers, even joining [[frequent flyer]] loyalty programs and receiving free flights and other benefits from their flying. New services and higher frequencies meant that business fliers could fly to another city, do business, and return the same day, from almost any point in the country. Air travel's advantages put long-distance intercity [[railroad]] travel and bus lines under pressure, with most of the latter having withered away, whilst the former is still protected under [[nationalization]] through the continuing existence of [[Amtrak]].

By the 1980s, almost half of the total flying in the world took place in the U.S., and today the domestic industry operates over 10,000 daily departures nationwide.

Toward the end of the century, a new style of [[low-cost carrier|low cost airline]] emerged, offering a no-frills product at a lower price. [[Southwest Airlines]], [[JetBlue]], [[AirTran Airways]], [[Skybus Airlines]] and other low-cost carriers began to represent a serious challenge to the so-called "legacy airlines", as did their low-cost counterparts in many other countries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/budget-airline-trends-2016/index.html|title=Budget airlines changed the world. What next?|date=21 March 2016|work=CNN Travel|access-date=14 October 2017|language=en}}</ref> Their commercial viability represented a serious competitive threat to the legacy carriers. However, of these, [[ATA Airlines|ATA]] and Skybus have since ceased operations.

Increasingly since 1978, US airlines have been reincorporated and [[off spin|spun off]] by newly created and internally led management companies, and thus becoming nothing more than operating units and subsidiaries with limited financially decisive control. Among some of these [[holding company|holding companies]] and [[parent company|parent companies]] which are relatively well known, are the [[UAL Corporation]], along with the [[AMR Corporation]], among a long [[list of airline holding companies]] sometime recognized worldwide. Less recognized are the [[private-equity firm]]s which often seize managerial, financial, and [[board of directors]] control of distressed airline companies by temporarily investing large sums of [[Equity (finance)|capital]] in air carriers, to rescheme an airlines assets into a profitable organization or [[liquidate|liquidating]] an air carrier of their profitable and worthwhile routes and business operations.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

Thus the last 50 years of the airline industry have varied from reasonably profitable, to devastatingly depressed. As the first major market to deregulate the industry in 1978, U.S. airlines have experienced more turbulence than almost any other country or region. In fact, no U.S. [[legacy carrier]] survived bankruptcy-free. Among the outspoken critics of deregulation, former CEO of American Airlines, [[Robert Crandall]] has publicly stated: "Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing shows airline industry deregulation was a mistake."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2011/11/29/amr-filing-shows-airline-deregulation-failed-exceo.html |title=Robert Cranall former CEO AA, CNBC |website=[[CNBC]] |date=November 29, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429202738/http://www.cnbc.com/id/45477274/AMR_Filing_Shows_Airline_Deregulation_Failed_Ex_CEO |archive-date=29 April 2013 }}</ref>

====Bailout====
Congress passed the [https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/2926 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act] (P.L. 107–42) in response to a severe liquidity crisis facing the already-troubled airline industry in the aftermath of the [[September 11 attacks]]. Through the [[Air Transportation Stabilization Board|ATSB]] Congress sought to provide cash infusions to carriers for both the cost of the four-day federal shutdown of the airlines and the incremental losses incurred through December 31, 2001, as a result of the terrorist attacks. This resulted in the first government bailout of the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ostpxweb.ost.dot.gov/aviation/Data/stabilizationact.pdf |title=Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act |access-date=3 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409061950/http://ostpxweb.ost.dot.gov/aviation/Data/stabilizationact.pdf |archive-date=9 April 2009 }}</ref> Between 2000 and 2005 US airlines lost $30 billion with wage cuts of over $15 billion and 100,000 employees laid off.<ref name="Bamber, G.J., Gittell, J.H., Kochan, T.A. & von Nordenflytch, A. 2009">{{cite book|url=http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100965480 |author=Bamber, G.J. |author2=Gittell, J.H. |author3=Kochan, T.A. |author4=von Nordenflytch, A. |year=2009 |title=Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees|publisher=Cornell University Press, Ithaca |chapter=chapter 5}}</ref>

In recognition of the essential national economic role of a healthy aviation system, Congress authorized partial compensation of up to $5 billion in cash subject to review by the [[U.S. Department of Transportation]] and up to $10 billion in loan guarantees subject to review by a newly created [[Air Transportation Stabilization Board]] (ATSB). The applications to DOT for reimbursements were subjected to rigorous multi-year reviews not only by DOT program personnel but also by the [[Government Accountability Office]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04725r.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04725r.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Subject: Aviation Assistance: Compensation Criteria and Payment Equity under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act|date=4 June 2004 |website=www.gao.gov|access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref> and the DOT Inspector General.<ref>[http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/aa20011024.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717225216/http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=%2Fdata%2Fpdfdocs%2Faa20011024.pdf|date=17 July 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/cr2003092.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717231319/http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=%2Fdata%2Fpdfdocs%2Fcr2003092.pdf|date=17 July 2009}}</ref>

Ultimately, the federal government provided $4.6 billion in one-time, subject-to-income-tax cash payments to 427 U.S. air carriers, with no provision for repayment, essentially a gift from the taxpayers. (Passenger carriers operating scheduled service received approximately $4 billion, subject to tax.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.gov/affairs/carrierpayments.htm |title=U |publisher=Dot.gov |access-date=22 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527104415/http://www.dot.gov/affairs/carrierpayments.htm |archive-date=27 May 2010 }}</ref> In addition, the ATSB approved loan guarantees to six airlines totaling approximately $1.6 billion. Data from the [[United States Department of the Treasury|U.S. Treasury Department]] show that the government recouped the $1.6 billion and a profit of $339 million from the fees, interest and purchase of discounted airline stock associated with loan guarantees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/atsb/ |title=Air Transportation Stabilization Board |publisher=Treas.gov |date=22 September 2001 |access-date=22 August 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080709052637/http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/atsb/ |archive-date = 9 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{As of|May 2018}} the four largest [[Major airlines of the United States|major carriers]] controlled 70% of the U.S. passenger market.<ref name=AvWeek14May2018/>

===Asia===
[[File:Tata Sons' Airline Timetable Image, Summer 1935 (interior).jpg|thumb|1935 Timetable of [[Tata Airlines]], founded in 1932]]

Although [[Philippine Airlines]] (PAL) was officially founded on February 26, 1941, its license to operate as an airliner was derived from merged Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (PATCO) established by mining magnate [[Emmanuel N. Bachrach]] on 3 December 1930, making it Asia's oldest scheduled carrier still in operation.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/hawaii-commercial-aviation/philippine-air-lines |title=Above the Pacific |first=William Joseph |last=Horvat |date=1966 |isbn=978-0-8168-0000-1 |publisher=Hawaii.gov |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> Commercial air service commenced three weeks later from [[Manila]] to [[Baguio]], making it Asia's first airline route. Bachrach's death in 1937 paved the way for its eventual merger with Philippine Airlines in March 1941 and made it Asia's oldest airline. It is also the oldest airline in Asia still operating under its current name.<ref name="PAL">Jane, ''[http://www.janes.com Jane's airlines & airliners By Jeremy Flack]'', First Edition, 2003, {{ISBN|978-0-00-715174-5}}</ref> Bachrach's majority share in PATCO was bought by beer magnate Andres R. Soriano in 1939 upon the advice of General [[Douglas MacArthur]] and later merged with newly formed Philippine Airlines with PAL as the surviving entity. Soriano has controlling interest in both airlines before the merger. PAL restarted service on 15 March 1941, with a single [[Beech Model 18]] NPC-54 aircraft, which started its daily services between [[Manila]] (from [[Nielson Field]]) and [[Baguio]], later to expand with larger aircraft such as the DC-3 and Vickers Viscount.
[[File:Nakajima AT-2.jpg|thumb|[[Nakajima Ki-34|Nakajima AT-2]] of [[Japan Air Transport]], 1937]]
In Japan, [[Japan Air Transport]] was established in 1928 as the national flag carrier. Upon the completion of [[Haneda Airport]] in 1931, it became the airline's hub. The airline initially operated domestic routes such as [[Tokyo]]–[[Osaka]] and Osaka–[[Fukuoka]]. In September 1929, it opened its first overseas route, which connected Fukuoka to [[Dalian]] in the [[Kwantung Leased Territory]] via [[Keijō|Seoul]] and [[Pyongyang]] in [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese Korea]]. After Japan established the puppet state of [[Manchukuo]], the airline opened routes to major cities within this territory. The company was reorganised as [[Imperial Japanese Airways|Japan Airways]] in 1938. During the Second World War, it operated routes to various Japanese-occupied territories and [[Thailand]]. The company was dissolved immediately after the war, as civil aviation was prohibited by the [[Occupation of Japan|Allied Occupation Forces]]. Civil aviation in Japan did not resume until the founding of [[Japan Airlines]] in 1951.<ref>{{Cite web |title=early Japanese civil aviation |url=http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/new%20site/commercial/Japanese%20civil%20aviation.htm |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=www.century-of-flight.freeola.com}}</ref>

[[Cathay Pacific]] was one of the first airlines to be launched among the other Asian countries in 1946.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Young |first=Gavin |title=Beyond Lion Rock: The Story of Cathay Pacific Airways |publisher=Faber & Faber |year=1988 |isbn=9780571287260}}</ref> The license to operate as an airliner was granted by the federal government body after reviewing the necessity at the national assembly. The [[Hanjin]] occupies the largest ownership of Korean Air as well as few low-budget airlines as of now. Korean Air is one of the four founders of [[SkyTeam]], which was established in 2000. [[Asiana Airlines]], launched in 1988,  joined [[Star Alliance]] in 2003. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines comprise one of the largest combined airline miles and number of passenger served at the regional market of Asian airline industry

[[India]] was also one of the first countries to embrace civil aviation.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pran Nath Seth|author2=Pran Nath Seth, Sushma Seth Bhat|title=An Introduction To Travel And Tourism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AcGn-Fmc43sC&pg=PA111|year=2003|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-81-207-2482-2|page=111}}</ref> One of the first Asian airline companies was [[Air India]], which was founded as [[Tata Airlines]] in 1932, a division of Tata Sons Ltd. (now [[Tata Group]]). The airline was founded by India's leading industrialist, [[JRD Tata]]. On 15 October 1932, J. R. D. Tata himself flew a single engined [[De Havilland Puss Moth]] carrying air mail (postal mail of [[Imperial Airways]]) from [[Karachi]] to [[Mumbai|Bombay]] via [[Ahmedabad]]. The aircraft continued to [[Madras]] via Bellary piloted by [[Royal Air Force]] pilot [[Nevill Vintcent]]. Tata Airlines was also one of the world's first major airlines which began its operations without any support from the Government.<ref>{{cite book|author=S Bhatt|title=International Environmental Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s0g7tCYYu-gC&pg=PA175|year=2007|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-313-0125-8|page=175}}</ref>

With the outbreak of World War II, the airline presence in Asia came to a relative halt, with many new flag carriers donating their aircraft for military aid and other uses. Following the end of the war in 1945, regular commercial service was restored in India and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on 29 July 1946, under the name Air India. After the [[independence of India]], 49% of the airline was acquired by the [[Government of India]]. In return, the airline was granted status to operate international services from India as the designated flag carrier under the name [[Air India International]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pandey |first=B.K. |date=April–May 2013 |title=Encouraging Changes |url=https://www.spsairbuz.com/ebook/32022013.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.spsairbuz.com/ebook/32022013.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |journal=SP's AirBuz |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=32}}</ref>

On 31 July 1946, a chartered Philippine Airlines (PAL) [[DC-4]] ferried 40 American servicemen to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[California]], from Nielson Airport in [[Makati]] with stops in [[Guam]], [[Wake Island]], [[Johnston Atoll]] and [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]], making PAL the first Asian airline to cross the [[Pacific Ocean]]. A regular service between [[Manila]] and [[San Francisco]] was started in December. It was during this year that the airline was designated as the flag carrier of Philippines.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-23 |title=History and Milestone |url=https://www.philippineairlines.com/zh-TW/TC/home/AboutUs/HistoryAndMilestone |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923024837/https://www.philippineairlines.com/zh-TW/TC/home/AboutUs/HistoryAndMilestone |archive-date=2020-09-23 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=}}</ref>

During the era of [[decolonization]], newly born Asian countries started to embrace air transport. Among the first Asian carriers during the era were [[Cathay Pacific]] of [[Hong Kong]] (founded in September 1946), [[Orient Airways]] (later [[Pakistan International Airlines]]; founded in October 1946), [[Air Ceylon]] (later [[SriLankan Airlines]]; founded in 1947), [[Malayan Airways Limited]] in 1947 (later [[Singapore Airlines|Singapore]] and [[Malaysia Airlines]]), [[El Al]] in [[Israel]] in 1948, [[Garuda Indonesia]] in 1949, [[Thai Airways]] in 1960, and [[Korean National Airlines]] in 1947.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

===Latin America and Caribbean===
[[File:Tam.a330-200.pt-mvl.arp.jpg|thumb|[[LATAM Airlines]] is the largest airline in [[Latin America]] in terms of number of annual passengers flown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://airtravel.about.com/od/basedincaribbeansa/tp/top10la.htm |title=Top 10 Airlines in Latin America By Arlene Fleming |publisher=Airtravel.about.com |date=10 June 2010 |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref>]]

Among the first countries to have regular airlines in Latin America and the Caribbean were [[Bolivia]] with [[Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Bolivia/Transportation#ref312761|title=Bolivia - Transportation {{!}} history - geography|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=14 October 2017|language=en}}</ref> [[Cuba]] with [[Cubana de Aviación]], [[Colombia]] with [[Avianca]] (the first airline established in the Americas), Argentina with [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]], [[Chile]] with [[LAN Chile]] (today [[LATAM Airlines]]), [[Brazil]] with [[Varig]], the [[Dominican Republic]] with [[Dominicana de Aviación]], [[Mexico]] with [[Mexicana de Aviación (1921–2010)|Mexicana de Aviación]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]] with [[BWIA West Indies Airways]] (today [[Caribbean Airlines]]), [[Venezuela]] with [[Aeropostal]], [[Puerto Rico]] with [[Aerovias nacionales de puerto rico|Puertorriquena]]; and [[Grupo TACA|TACA]] based in [[El Salvador]] and representing several airlines of [[Central America]] ([[Costa Rica]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]] and [[Nicaragua]]). All the previous airlines started regular operations well before [[World War II]]. Puerto Rican commercial airlines such as [[Prinair]], [[Oceanair]], [[Fina Air]] and [[Vieques Air Link]] came much after the second world war, as did several others from other countries like Mexico's [[Interjet]] and [[Volaris]], Venezuela's [[Aserca Airlines]] and others.

The air travel market has evolved rapidly over recent years in [[Latin America]]. Some industry estimates indicated in 2011 that over 2,000 new aircraft will begin service over the next five years in this region.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latin America needs more than 2,000 new passenger aircraft in next 20 years|url=http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/latin-america-needs-more-than-2000-new-passenger-aircraft-in-next-20-years/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119202700/http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/latin-america-needs-more-than-2000-new-passenger-aircraft-in-next-20-years/|archive-date=19 November 2011|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref>

These airlines serve domestic flights within their countries, as well as connections within Latin America and also overseas flights to North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Only four airline groups – [[Avianca]], Panama's [[Copa Airlines|Copa]], Mexico's [[Volaris]], and [[LATAM Airlines]] – have international subsidiaries and cover many destinations within the Americas as well as major hubs in other continents. LATAM with [[Chile]] as the central operation along with [[Peru]], [[Ecuador]], [[Colombia]], [[Brazil]] and [[Argentina]] and formerly with some operations in the [[Dominican Republic]]. The [[Avianca Holdings|Avianca]] group has its main operation in Colombia based around the hub in [[El Dorado International Airport|Bogotá]], Colombia, as well as subsidiaries in various Latin American countries with hubs in [[Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero (airport)|San Salvador]], El Salvador, as well as [[Lima International Airport|Lima]], Peru, with a smaller operation in Ecuador.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} Copa has subsidiaries [[Copa Airlines Colombia]] and [[Wingo (airline)|Wingo]], both in Colombia, while Volaris of Mexico has [[Volaris Costa Rica]]  and [[Volaris El Salvador]], and the Irelandia group formerly included [[Viva Aerobus]] of Mexico, [[Viva Colombia]] and [[Viva Air Peru]].