History of Airline in Timeline

An airline is a company that offers air transportation services for passengers and/or cargo, using aircraft. Airlines typically hold an air operating certificate or license from a government aviation authority. They can operate as scheduled services or charter services. Passenger airlines often carry cargo in addition to passengers, while dedicated cargo airlines focus exclusively on freight transport.

October 10, 1909: Compagnie Générale Transaérienne (CGT) Founded

On October 10, 1909, the Compagnie générale transaérienne (CGT) was founded, marking it as the oldest airline company.

November 16, 1909: DELAG Founded

On November 16, 1909, DELAG, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft, was founded as the world's first commercial passenger airline.

June 1910: DELAG Begins Services

In June 1910, DELAG began providing regular air service, operating airships manufactured by the Zeppelin Company.

April 1911: CGT Begins Cargo Operations

In April 1911, the Compagnie Générale Transaérienne (CGT) commenced cargo operations.

March 1913: CGT Begins Regular Passenger Operations

In March 1913, the Compagnie Générale Transaérienne (CGT) initiated regular passenger operations, offering weekly return fixed-wing flights.

January 1, 1914: First Scheduled Commercial Airline Flight in the US

On January 1, 1914, Tony Jannus conducted the United States' first scheduled commercial airline flight for the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, flying between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida.

January 1914: St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line Started

In January 1914, the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line was started in the United States, with Tony Jannus piloting flights from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida.

1916: Aircraft Transport and Travel (AT&T) Formed

In 1916, Aircraft Transport and Travel (AT&T) was formed by George Holt Thomas as a fixed-wing airline.

1917: Deutsche Luft-Reederei Established

In 1917, Deutsche Luft-Reederei was established.

1918: US Post Office Department Experiments with Air Mail

In 1918, the United States Post Office Department began experimenting with air mail service using Curtiss Jenny aircraft.

February 1919: Chalk's Begins Service Between Miami and Bimini

In February 1919, Chalk's International Airlines claimed to have begun a service between Miami and Bimini in the Bahamas.

February 1919: Deutsche Luft-Reederei Starts Operating

In February 1919, Deutsche Luft-Reederei started operating regularly scheduled flights.

March 1919: Société Générale des Transports Aériens Service Begins

On 22 March 1919, Société Générale des Transports Aériens began a weekly service between Paris and Brussels using the Farman F.60 Goliath, marking the world's first international commercial aviation service.

July 15, 1919: Aircraft Transport and Travel Proving Flight

On July 15, 1919, Aircraft Transport and Travel flew a proving flight across the English Channel in an Airco DH.9, traveling from RAF Hendon to Paris – Le Bourget Airport.

July 1919: HM Airship R34 Crosses the Atlantic

In July 1919, the British airship HM Airship R34 became the first aircraft of any type to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean, traveling from Scotland to New York and back.

August 25, 1919: Aircraft Transport and Travel Pioneers Regular Service

On August 25, 1919, Aircraft Transport and Travel pioneered a regular service from Hounslow Heath Aerodrome to Paris's Le Bourget using DH.16s, marking the first daily international service in the world.

November 1919: Aircraft Transport and Travel Wins Airmail Contract

In November 1919, Aircraft Transport and Travel won the first British civil airmail contract and operated the service between Hawkinge and Cologne with lent Royal Air Force Airco DH.9A aircraft.

1919: Air Mail Service to Morocco Begins

In 1919, France began an air mail service to Morocco.

1919: Handley Page Transport Established

In 1919, Handley Page Transport was established and began running a London-Paris passenger service using converted wartime Type O/400 bombers.

1920: KLM Makes First Flight

In 1920, Dutch airline KLM made its first flight from Croydon Airport, London to Amsterdam, using a leased DH-16 from Aircraft Transport and Travel.

1920: Return of Aircraft to Royal Air Force

In 1920, the six Royal Air Force Airco DH.9A aircraft that were lent to Aircraft Transport and Travel, to operate the airmail service, were returned to the Royal Air Force.

1921: D.L.R. Network Expansion

By 1921, the Deutsche Luft-Reederei network expanded to include destinations in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the Baltic Republics.

1921: KLM Starts Scheduled Services

In 1921, KLM started scheduled services.

1921: Chief Administration of the Civil Air Fleet Established

In 1921, the Chief Administration of the Civil Air Fleet was established in the Soviet Union.

January 1923: Air Union Formed

On 1 January 1923, two French airlines merged to form Air Union.

July 1923: Dobrolyot Starts Operations

On 15 July 1923, Dobrolyot started operations between Moscow and Nizhni Novgorod.

September 1923: Charter Establishing Aero O/Y Signed

In September 1923, the charter establishing Aero O/Y (now Finnair) was signed in Helsinki.

March 1924: Aero O/Y Takes Delivery of First Aircraft

In March 1924, Aero O/Y took delivery of its first aircraft, the Junkers F.13 D-335.

November 1924: Handley Page W8f City of Washington Delivered

On 3 November 1924, the first new airliner ordered by Imperial Airways, the Handley Page W8f City of Washington, was delivered.

1924: Imperial Airways Formed

In 1924, Imperial Airways was formed from the merger of Instone Air Line Company, British Marine Air Navigation, Daimler Airway and Handley Page Transport.

1924: Junkers Luftverkehr Becomes Separate Company

In 1924, Junkers Luftverkehr, a division of the aircraft manufacturer Junkers, became a separate company.

1924: Société des Lignes Latécoère Starts Airmail Service

In late 1924, Société des lignes Latécoère, a predecessor of Air France, later known as Aéropostale, started its first airmail service to Spain.

April 1925: First In-Flight Movie Screening

In April 1925, the film "The Lost World" became the first film to be screened for passengers on a scheduled airliner flight, specifically on the London-Paris route.

1925: Ford Motor Company Buys Stout Aircraft Company

In 1925, the Ford Motor Company bought out the Stout Aircraft Company and began construction of the all-metal Ford Trimotor.

1926: Alan Cobham Surveys Flight Route

In 1926, Alan Cobham surveyed a flight route from the UK to Cape Town, South Africa, and followed up with another proving flight to Melbourne, Australia.

1926: Deutsche Lufthansa Created

In 1926, Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa was created by the merger of two airlines, one of them Junkers Luftverkehr.

1927: Regular Services to Cairo and Basra Begin

In 1927, regular air services to Cairo and Basra began.

1927: Air Mail Service Bought Out and Renamed Aéropostale

In 1927, the French air mail service to Morocco was bought out, renamed Aéropostale, and injected with capital.

1928: Establishment of Japan Air Transport

In 1928, Japan Air Transport was established as the national flag carrier of Japan.

September 1929: First Overseas Route

In September 1929, Japan Air Transport opened its first overseas route, connecting Fukuoka to Dalian via Seoul and Pyongyang.

1929: Services Extended to Karachi

In 1929, air services were extended to Karachi.

December 1930: Establishment of Philippine Aerial Taxi Company

In December 1930, the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (PATCO) was established, marking the beginning of commercial aviation in Asia.

1931: Completion of Haneda Airport

In 1931, Haneda Airport was completed and became the hub for Japan Air Transport.

1931: Graf Zeppelin Offers Passenger Service to South America

In 1931, the airship Graf Zeppelin began offering regular scheduled passenger service between Germany and South America.

October 1932: First Air Mail Flight by J. R. D. Tata

On 15 October 1932, J. R. D. Tata piloted a De Havilland Puss Moth, carrying air mail from Karachi to Bombay via Ahmedabad.

1932: London-Australia Service Inaugurated

In 1932, the London-Australia service was inaugurated with Handley Page HP 42 airliners.

1932: All Operations Under the Name Aeroflot

Since 1932, all air transport operations in the Soviet Union had been carried out under the name Aeroflot.

May 1933: Air France Formed

On 17 May 1933, Air Union merged with four other French airlines to become Air France.

1933: Aéropostale Merged into Air France

In 1933, Aéropostale went bankrupt, was nationalized, and merged into Air France.

February 1934: Deutsche Lufthansa Airmail Service to Brazil Begins

From February 1934, Deutsche Lufthansa operated an airmail service from Stuttgart, Germany, via Spain, the Canary Islands, and West Africa, to Natal in Brazil.

1935: DELAG Service Ends

In 1935, DELAG ended its regular air service.

March 1936: Services to Calcutta, Rangoon, Singapore, Brisbane and Hong Kong opened

On 14 March 1936 services to Calcutta, Rangoon, Singapore, Brisbane and Hong Kong opened, with passengers departing from London.

1936: Hindenburg Enters Passenger Service

In 1936, the airship Hindenburg entered passenger service and successfully crossed the Atlantic 36 times.

May 1937: Hindenburg Crashes at Lakehurst

On 6 May 1937, the airship Hindenburg crashed at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1937: Death of Emmanuel N. Bachrach

In 1937, the death of Emmanuel N. Bachrach paved the way for the merger of PATCO with Philippine Airlines in March 1941.

1938: Reorganization as Japan Airways

In 1938, Japan Air Transport was reorganized as Japan Airways.

1938: Air Service from Berlin to Kabul Starts

In 1938, a weekly air service from Berlin to Kabul, Afghanistan, started operating.

1939: Soriano acquires PATCO shares

In 1939, Andres R. Soriano bought Bachrach's majority share in PATCO and later merged it with newly formed Philippine Airlines.

1939: Deutsche Lufthansa Airmail Service Ends

The Deutsche Lufthansa airmail service, which began in February 1934, ended in 1939 with the start of World War II.

February 26, 1941: Official Founding of Philippine Airlines

On February 26, 1941, Philippine Airlines (PAL) was officially founded, inheriting its license to operate from the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (PATCO).

March 1941: PAL Restarts Service and Merger

In March 1941, Philippine Airlines restarted service with a Beech Model 18 and merged with PATCO, solidifying its position as Asia's oldest airline.

1945: Restoration of Commercial Service in India

Following the end of World War II in 1945, regular commercial service was restored in India.

July 1946: First Asian Airline to Cross the Pacific

In July 1946, Philippine Airlines became the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean with a chartered DC-4 flight from Manila to Oakland, California.

July 1946: Tata Airlines becomes Air India

On July 29, 1946, Tata Airlines became a public limited company under the name Air India.

September 1946: Cathay Pacific Founded

In September 1946, Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong was founded.

October 1946: Orient Airways Founded

In October 1946, Orient Airways (later Pakistan International Airlines) was founded.

1946: Launch of Cathay Pacific

In 1946, Cathay Pacific was one of the first airlines to be launched among the other Asian countries.

1947: Air Ceylon Founded

In 1947, Air Ceylon (later SriLankan Airlines) and Malayan Airways Limited were founded.

1948: El Al Founded

In 1948, El Al in Israel was founded.

1949: Garuda Indonesia Founded

In 1949, Garuda Indonesia was founded.

1951: Founding of Japan Airlines

In 1951, civil aviation in Japan resumed with the founding of Japan Airlines.

September 1956: Aeroflot Operates Regular Jet Services

On 15 September 1956, Aeroflot became the first airline in the world to operate sustained regular jet services with the Tupolev Tu-104.

October 1958: Transatlantic Flights Begin

In October 1958, British Overseas Airways Corporation started transatlantic flights between London Heathrow and New York Idlewild with a Comet 4, and Pan Am followed with a Boeing 707 service between New York and Paris.

1960: Thai Airways Founded

In 1960, Thai Airways was founded.

1969: Concorde First Flight

In 1969, the Concorde, a supersonic aircraft, had its first flight, marking a significant advancement in air travel technology.

1972: Airbus Production Begins

In 1972, Airbus started producing its line of airliners, which became Europe's most commercially successful to date, noted for passenger capacity, payload, and range efficiencies.

1978: Airline Industry Deregulation and its Consequences

Deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 led major airlines to use aggressive pricing strategies, such as loss leader pricing, to stifle competition from new start-ups, ultimately impacting revenue and service quality.

1978: U.S. carriers did not manage to make an aggregate profit

Following the 1978 deregulation, U.S. carriers did not manage to make an aggregate profit for 12 years in 31, including four years where combined losses amounted to $10 billion.

1978: U.S. Airline Industry Deregulation

In 1978, the U.S. airline industry experienced deregulation, leading to lowered barriers for new airlines and coinciding with an economic downturn.

1978: Increased Airline Re-incorporation

Since 1978, U.S. airlines have increasingly been reincorporated and spun off by management companies, functioning as operating units with limited financial control.

1978: Airline Deregulation Act

Since the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, over 200 airlines in the U.S. have merged, been taken over, or gone out of business.

1980: Industry has not earned back the cost of capital

Since 1980, the airline industry has not earned back the cost of capital during the best of times.

1988: Launch of Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines was launched in 1988.

1990: Greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87%

In the EU greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% between 1990 and 2006.

1990: Airline Bankruptcies

Since 1990, Several U.S. airlines have declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, including American Airlines, Continental Airlines (twice), Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Pan Am, United Airlines and US Airways (twice).

December 1991: Collapse of Pan Am

In December 1991, the collapse of Pan Am highlighted the financial complexities faced by major airline companies.

1992: Profitability Analysis

Analysis of the 1992-1996 period shows that other players in the air transport chain are more profitable than the airlines.

1996: Profitability Analysis

Analysis of the 1992-1996 period shows that other players in the air transport chain are more profitable than the airlines.

1999: Southwest Airlines' Fuel Hedging Policy

In 1999, Southwest Airlines maintained strong business profits due to its fuel hedging policy, a contractual tool used by transportation companies to reduce exposure to volatile fuel costs.

1999: Warren Buffett's comment on airline companies' profits

In 1999, Warren Buffett said that "the money that had been made since the dawn of aviation by all of this country's airline companies was zero. Absolutely zero."

2000: Airline Losses

From 2000 to 2005, US airlines faced significant financial challenges, with $30 billion in losses, wage cuts exceeding $15 billion, and 100,000 employee layoffs.

2000: Hedging instruments can be expensive

Hedging instruments in the airline industry can be expensive, but during the 2000–2005 period, they could easily offset increasing fuel costs.

2000: SkyTeam Founding

In 2000, Korean Air was one of the four founders of SkyTeam.

2001: Domestic air transport grew in China at 15.5 percent annually

From 2001 to 2006, domestic air transport in China grew at an annual rate of 15.5 percent.

December 31, 2001: Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act

On December 31, 2001, Congress responded to the airline industry's liquidity crisis after the September 11 attacks by passing the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to provide cash infusions to carriers.

2003: Asiana Airlines Joins Star Alliance

In 2003, Asiana Airlines joined Star Alliance.

2003: End of Concorde Operations

In 2003, the Concorde ceased operations, marking the end of an era for supersonic commercial travel.

2004: KLM and Air France fusion

In 2004, after the fusion of KLM and Air France, both airlines entered the SkyTeam alliance.

2005: Last piston-powered aircraft were as fuel-efficient as the average jet

According to some reports, it can be concluded that the last piston-powered aircraft were as fuel-efficient as the average jet in 2005.

2005: Airline Losses

From 2000 to 2005, US airlines faced significant financial challenges, with $30 billion in losses, wage cuts exceeding $15 billion, and 100,000 employee layoffs.

2005: Hedging instruments can be expensive

Hedging instruments in the airline industry can be expensive, but during the 2000–2005 period, they could easily offset increasing fuel costs.

2006: Domestic air transport grew in China at 15.5 percent annually

From 2001 to 2006, domestic air transport in China grew at an annual rate of 15.5 percent. In the EU greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% between 1990 and 2006.

2008: Chalk's International Airlines Closure

In 2008, Chalk's International Airlines closed.

2008: Airline industry responsible for about 11 percent of greenhouse gases emitted by the U.S. transportation sector

In 2008, it was reported that the airline industry is responsible for about 11 percent of greenhouse gases emitted by the U.S. transportation sector.

2008: Oil Prices Impact National Airlines

In early 2008, national airlines including Italy's Alitalia suffered, particularly with the rapid increase of oil prices.

2009: Aviation sector responsible for approximately 1.6 percent of global anthropogenic GHG emissions per annum

In 2009, the aviation sector, including U.S. domestic and global international travel, accounted for approximately 1.6 percent of global anthropogenic GHG emissions per annum. North America accounted for nearly 40 percent of the world's GHG emissions from aviation fuel use that year.

2010: U.S. carriers rebounded with eight consecutive years of profits

Since 2010, U.S. carriers rebounded with eight consecutive years of profits, including its four with over $10 billion profits.

2011: Growth in Latin American Air Travel Market

In 2011, industry estimates indicated that over 2,000 new aircraft would begin service in Latin America over the next five years due to the rapid evolution of the air travel market in the region.

2013: Projects on electric aircraft, and some of which are fully operational

As of 2013, there are projects on electric aircraft, and some of which are fully operational.

July 2015: Total Weekly Airline Capacity

In July 2015, the total weekly airline capacity was 181.1 billion Available Seat Kilometers, a 6.9% increase compared to July 2015.

2015: Largest airline alliances accounted for over 60% of global commercial air traffic

As of 2015, the largest airline alliances, including Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld, accounted for over 60% of global commercial air traffic.

2015: Lack of Savings Passed to Consumers

In 2015, despite a considerable drop in fuel prices, very little of the savings were passed on to consumers in the United States due to industry consolidation.

July 2016: Total Weekly Airline Capacity

In July 2016, the total weekly airline capacity was 181.1 billion Available Seat Kilometers, a 6.9% increase compared to July 2015.

2016: Air Transport Revenue

In 2016, air transport generated $704.4 billion in revenue, employing 10.2 million workers and supporting 65.5 million jobs and $2.7 trillion of economic activity.

2017: Global Airline Passenger Statistics

In 2017, airlines carried 4.1 billion passengers on 41.9 million commercial scheduled flights, covering 7.75 trillion passenger kilometers across 45,091 airline routes.

2017: Global airline industry revenue was $754 billion

In 2017, the global airline industry revenue reached $754 billion, resulting in a collective profit of $38.4 billion.

February 2018: Cheapest and Most Expensive Airlines

Over February 2018, Tigerair Australia was the cheapest airline surveyed at $0.06/km, while Charterlines, Inc. was the most expensive at $1.26/km.

May 2018: Market Control by Major Carriers

As of May 2018, the four largest major carriers controlled 70% of the U.S. passenger market.

2018: Revenue should rise by 10.7% to $834 billion

In 2018, it was projected that revenue for the global airline industry would increase by 10.7% to $834 billion, with a profit forecast of $33.8 billion, a 12% decrease due to rising jet fuel and labor costs.

2019: World's largest airlines

As of 2019, American Airlines Group was the largest by fleet size, passengers carried and revenue passenger mile. Delta Air Lines was the largest by revenue, assets value and market capitalization. Lufthansa Group was the largest by number of employees, FedEx Express by freight tonne-kilometres, Turkish Airlines by number of countries served and UPS Airlines by number of destinations served. United Airlines was the largest passenger airline by number of destinations served.