The US Airline Industry History

The world's first airplane was built in the United States by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Within 20 years, the United States had a growing passenger aviation industry that continues to this day.

Beginning

The world's first scheduled commercial flight took place on New Year's Day, 1914, from St. Petersburg to Tampa Bay, Florida. It lasted 23 minutes, crossed 21 miles and the one-way fare was $5.

Between the Wars

World War I led to rapid airplane development, with larger planes that could carry more people and were economical. The US international carrier Pan Am was founded in 1927. A year earlier, Northwest Airlines (now a subsidiary of Delta) was formed.

Post-World War II

Military aviation developments in World War II included the jet engine. This led to the first high-altitude jetliners, such as the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8. Air travel in the United States became much more popular. By 1970, 73 percent of passenger travel was by air.

Deregulation

In 1978, the US government deregulated air travel. This allowed many new airlines to start, and the markets became fiercely competitive. Air travel became a lot cheaper as a result.

The 2000s

The US airline industry was hit hard in 2001 by the 9/11 attacks. At the same time, Internet-based ticketing firms were replacing travel agencies, and made the market much more competitive since passengers had far better access to information.

References

• Tony Jannus: America's first commercial pilot