Airline: Difference between revisions

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An '''airline''' is a company that provides a regular service of [[civil aviation|air transportation]] for [[passenger]]s or [[freight]] (cargo). Airlines use [[aircraft]] to supply these services. Many passenger airlines also carry cargo in the belly of their aircraft, while dedicated [[Cargo airline|cargo airlines]] focus solely on freight transport. Generally, airline companies are recognized with an [[Air operator's certificate|air operating certificate]] or license issued by a governmental aviation body. Airlines may be scheduled or [[Air charter|charter]] operators.

[[DELAG]], ''Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft'', was the world’s first commercial passenger airline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iatrou |first=Kostas |date=2020 |title=The History of Air Transport |url=https://hermes.aero/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HISTORY-OF-AT.pdf |publisher=Hermes – Air Transport Organisation }}</ref><ref name=AirshipsDELAG>{{cite web |title=DELAG: The World's First Airline |url=https://www.airships.net/delag-passenger-zeppelins |access-date=22 August 2010 |website=Airships.net}}</ref> It was founded on November 16, 1909,<ref name=AirshipsDELAG /> and began services in June 1910,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ochaba |first=Sabine |date=16 June 2025 |title=The world's first passenger airship: a portrait of the Zeppelin LZ 7 |url=https://www.zeppelin-museum.de/en/digital-offers/the-world-s-first-passenger |publisher=[[Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen]]}}</ref> providing a regular service until 1935.<ref name=AirshipsDELAG /> DELAG operated airships manufactured by the [[Zeppelin|Zeppelin Company]].<ref name=AirshipsDELAG />  

 

A fixed-wing scheduled airline was started in the United States in January 1914. The [[St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line]] was piloted by [[Tony Jannus]] and flew from [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], to [[Tampa, Florida]].<ref name=":32">{{Cite book |last=Bartsch |first=Ronald I. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SiQeEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 |title=International Aviation Law: A Practical Guide |date=2024 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-040-14768-9 |pages=20 |language=en |quote=The first fixed wing scheduled passenger air service ... was operated by the St Petersberg-Tampa Airboat Line. ... The first regular international passenger air service was a weekly flight between Paris and Brussels which commenced on 22 March 1919. [Operated by] Lignes Aériennes Farman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Crouch |first1=Tom D. |last2=Reilly |first2=Thomas |date=1999 |title=Jannus: An American Flier. |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/2587417 |journal=The Journal of Southern History |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=433 |doi=10.2307/2587417 |jstor=2587417 |issn=0022-4642|url-access=subscription }}</ref><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><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|archive-date=May 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509023028/https://www.space.com/16657-worlds-first-commercial-airline-the-greatest-moments-in-flight.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The British airship, [[HM Airship R34]] was the first aircraft of any type to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean when on 2 July 1919 it left Scotland, travelled to New York and returned.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hitchens |first=Frank |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtkPEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA271 |title=Pioneer Aviators: ...and the Planes They Flew |date=2023 |publisher=Andrews UK Limited |isbn=978-1-83791-189-9 |pages=272 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Flight_10_jul">[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200906.html The Transatlantic Voyage of R.34] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123203935/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200906.html |date=January 23, 2011 }} [[Flight International|''Flight'']] 10 July 1919, pp. 906–910</ref>  

[[Aircraft Transport and Travel]] (AT&T), formed by [[George Holt Thomas]] in 1916 as a fixed-wing airline; via a series of takeovers and mergers, this company is the earliest [[Successor company|predecessor company]] of [[British Airways]].<ref name="Grant1996">{{Cite book |last1=Grant |first1=Tina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uk8kAQAAMAAJ |title=International Directory of Company Histories |last2=Derdak |first2=Thomas |date=1996 |publisher=St. James Press |isbn=978-1-55862-342-2 |page=70 |language=en |quote=British Airways' earliest predecessor was Aircraft Transport & Travel, Ltd., founded in 1916.}}</ref><ref name="Cook2023">{{Cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Gerald N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HYIEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=Airline Operations and Management: A Management Textbook |last2=Billig |first2=Bruce G. |date=2023 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-86999-6 |pages=5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Rothacher |first=Albrecht |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3K1AAAAIAAJ&q=British%20airways%20predecessor%201916 |title=Corporate Globalization: Business Cultures in Asia and Europe |date=2005 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish Academic |isbn=978-981-210-373-4 |pages=90 |language=en |quote=BA's earliest predecessor was Aircraft Transport & Travel}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2020-03-12 |title=British Airways' earliest ancestor |url=https://www.key.aero/article/british-airways-earliest-ancestor |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=www.key.aero |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Segell |first=Glen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=euXBTIARrZIC&pg=PA141 |title=The Defence Industrial Base and Foreign Policy |date=1998 |publisher=Glen Segell Publishers |isbn=978-1-901414-12-7 |language=en}}</ref> 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 daily international service in the world.<ref name=":52">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dM8mDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA307 |title=Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene |date=2017-11-27 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-813576-1 |language=en |quote=The first, scheduled international air service commenced in Mar., 1919, linking Paris and Brussels, while a daily service connecting Paris and London by August.}}</ref><ref name="Bluffield2014">{{Cite book |last=Bluffield |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ipKPBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA100 |title=Over Empires and Oceans: Pioneers, Aviators and Adventurers - Forging the International Air Routes 1918-1939 |date=2014 |publisher=Tattered Flag |isbn=978-0-9576892-6-8 |pages=100 |language=en |quote=AT&T was the first of Britain's pioneering airlines. Founded on 5 October 1916 ... The 25 August 1919 was an aviation landmark. ... It was also the world's first [daily] commercial fixed-wing scheduled international service.}}</ref> 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>

[[Aéropostale (aviation)|Société des lignes Latécoère]], a predecessor of Air France,<ref name="AAP1948">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rDjsq1KWGngC&q=air%20france%20formed%201918 |title=American Aviation |date=1948 |publisher=American Aviation Publications |pages=18 |language=en |quote=Air France, by tracing its lineage back to the original parent company, formed in 1918, establishes itself as one of the world's oldest air carriers.}}</ref> later known as Aéropostale, started its first [[airmail]] service in late 1924 to Spain.<ref name="Johnson2014">{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Amy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXrgDwAAQBAJ&dq=air+france+oldest+1918&pg=PT136 |title=Sky Roads of the World |date=2014 |publisher=RHE Media Limited |isbn=978-1-910226-11-7 |language=en |quote=Air France can claim the oldest air service in the world, for it was in 1918 that the beginnings of the South Atlantic air mail service were laid}}</ref><ref name="AFKLM">{{Cite web |title=The Group |url=https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/group |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=www.airfranceklm.com |quote=Air France [was] founded on 7 October .. 1933, through the merger of five French airlines – Air Union, Air Orient, Société Générale de Transport Aérienne (SGTA), CIDNA, and Aéropostale. ... In 1924, Jean Mermoz established the route between Toulouse and Barcelona, which flies over the Pyrenees.}}</ref> The [[Société Générale des Transports Aériens]] was created in late 1919, by the [[Farman]] brothers. It began a weekly service between Paris and Brussels on 22 March 1919, the world's first international commercial aviation service.<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":52" /> 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>

The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] airline [[KLM]] made its first flight in 1920, and is the oldest airline still using the original name.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Gerald N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rXizEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1977 |title=Airline Operations and Management: A Management Textbook |last2=Billig |first2=Bruce G. |date=2023-05-04 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-87009-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=History of KLM - KLM United States |url=https://www.klm.com/information/corporate/history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250629171116/https://www.klm.com/information/corporate/history |archive-date=June 29, 2025 |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=History of KLM - KLM United States |language=en-GB |quote=KLM is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. |url-status=live }}</ref> 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|archive-date=May 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507092737/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/koninklijke-luchtvaart-maatschappij-n-v-history/|url-status=live}}</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|archive-date=July 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724011731/http://www.klm.com/corporate/en/about-klm/history/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Its first flight was from [[Croydon Airport]], [[London]] to [[Amsterdam]], using a leased [[Airco DH.16|DH-16]] from [[Aircraft Transport and Travel]], 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|archive-date=March 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308154722/https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</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|archive-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206102502/https://www.aeroflot.ru/us-en/about/history|url-status=dead}}</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|archive-date=May 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509043531/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/210191/history-of-flight/260590/The-jet-age|url-status=live}}</ref>

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|access-date = October 1, 2013|archive-date = July 8, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170708164715/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1923/1923%20-%200760.html|url-status = live}}</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.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Aerospace industry - Interwar, Aircraft, Innovation {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/aerospace-industry/Between-the-wars |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217155906/https://www.britannica.com/technology/aerospace-industry/Between-the-wars |archive-date=2026-02-17 |access-date=2026-04-29 |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>

[[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 |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414010841/http://postale.free.fr/aeropostale.htm |url-status=live }}</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 |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026155041/http://www.airships.net/lz127-graf-zeppelin/history/ |url-status=live }}</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>

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 |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507001243/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-sustained-jet-airline-service/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[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]] claimed to have begun a 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 book |last=Jr |first=John L. Hoh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YRzuAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |title=Pioneers of Profit Among the Clouds |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-105-36137-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chalk's Ocean Airways |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/chalks-ocean-airways-3431981/ |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref><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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223024518/https://disciplesofflight.com/big-arrow/ |date=December 23, 2019 }}". 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]].

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|archive-date=June 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603123855/http://www.jal.com/en/history/aircraft/60s/pick_61-70_01.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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 |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |access-date= October 6, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005141521/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-how-the-jet-travel-era-began-in-earnest-449222/ |url-status= live }}</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|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019164303/https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/jetage/jetage17.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 |access-date=May 7, 2012 |archive-date=August 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804055725/http://asq.org/quality-report/10-year-analysis.html |url-status=live }}</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 |access-date=May 7, 2012 |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116155326/http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html |url-status=live }}</ref> So has airline employee pay. After incurring massive losses, the [[List of airline bankruptcies in the United States|airlines of the USA relied upon 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.

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=https://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 |archive-date=October 31, 2015 |access-date=August 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031004303/http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100965480 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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 |archive-date=May 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517040251/http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/hawaii-commercial-aviation/philippine-air-lines/ |url-status=live }}</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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228153854/http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jdi/jdi061128_1_n.shtml |date=February 28, 2007 }}'', 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.

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 reorganized 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>

[[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 |archive-date=January 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112021844/http://airtravel.about.com/od/basedincaribbeansa/tp/top10la.htm |url-status=dead }}</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|archive-date=December 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222172743/https://www.britannica.com/place/Bolivia/Transportation#ref312761|url-status=live}}</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.

In 2017, 4.1 billion passengers have been carried by airlines in 41.9 million commercial scheduled flights (an average payload of {{#expr:4100/41.9round0}} passengers), for 7.75 trillion [[passenger kilometer]]s (an average trip of {{#expr:7750/4.100round0}} km) over 45,091 airline routes served globally.<!--<ref name=ATAGOct2018>--> In 2016, air transport generated $704.4 billion of revenue in 2016, employed 10.2 million workers, supported 65.5 million jobs and $2.7 trillion of economic activity: 3.6% of the global [[GDP]].<ref name=ATAGOct2018>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviationbenefits.org/media/166344/abbb18_full-report_web.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.aviationbenefits.org/media/166344/abbb18_full-report_web.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher= Air Transport Action Group |title= Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders |date= October 2018}}</ref>

In July 2016, the total weekly airline capacity was 181.1 billion [[Available Seat Kilometers]] (+6.9% compared to July 2015): 57.6bn in Asia-Pacific, 47.7bn in Europe, 46.2bn in North America, 12.2bn in Middle East, 12.0bn in Latin America and 5.4bn in Africa.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://html5.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/desktop/stage/default.aspx?pnum=78&edid=e030c749-44c6-4ab0-af51-84e8f4424689 |title= Capacity snapshot |work= Airline Business |date= July–August 2016 |publisher= Flight Global |page= 78 |archive-date= December 9, 2019 |access-date= October 24, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191209145559/http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/cookie_check.aspx?eid=e030c749-44c6-4ab0-af51-84e8f4424689&pnum=78&error=1&debug=39f9dd0b-7a71-4257-9398-ba59f22433a5 |url-status= live }}</ref>

There has been continuing cost competition from [[low cost airline]]s. Many companies emulate [[Southwest Airlines]] in various respects.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2015/10/08/the-southwest-effect-is-alive-and-well-airline-executives-say|title=The Southwest effect is|date=8 October 2015|work=Dallas News|access-date=14 October 2017|language=en|archive-date=November 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104091743/https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2015/10/08/the-southwest-effect-is-alive-and-well-airline-executives-say/|url-status=live}}</ref> The lines between full-service and low-cost airlines have become blurred – e.g., with most "full service" airlines introducing baggage check fees despite Southwest not doing so.

[[McKinsey]] observes that "newer technology, larger aircraft, and increasingly efficient operations continually drive down the cost of running an airline", from nearly 40 US cents per [[available seat kilometer|ASK]] at the beginning of the jet age, to just above 10 cents since 2000. Those improvements were passed onto the customer due to high competition: fares have been falling throughout the history of airlines.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-transport-and-logistics/our-insights/a-better-approach-to-airline-costs |title= A better approach to airline costs |date= July 2017 |author= Steve Saxon and Mathieu Weber |publisher= [[McKinsey]] |access-date= May 1, 2020 |archive-date= April 28, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200428072037/https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-transport-and-logistics/our-insights/a-better-approach-to-airline-costs |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Over January/February 2018, the cheapest airline surveyed by price comparator [[rome2rio]] was now-defunct [[Tigerair Australia]] with $0.06/km followed by [[AirAsia X]] with $0.07/km, while the most expensive was [[Charterlines, Inc.]] with $1.26/km followed by [[Buddha Air]] with $1.18/km.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.rome2rio.com/labs/2018-global-flight-price-ranking/ |title= 2018 Global Flight Price Ranking: What's the world's cheapest airline? |publisher= [[rome2rio]] |date= 16 April 2018 |archive-date= May 17, 2018 |access-date= May 27, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180517131617/https://www.rome2rio.com/labs/2018-global-flight-price-ranking/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

For the [[IATA]], the global airline industry [[revenue]] was $754 billion in 2017 for a $38.4 billion collective [[Profit (accounting)|profit]], and should rise by 10.7% to $834 billion in 2018 for a $33.8 billion profit forecast, down by 12% due to rising [[jet fuel]] and [[Workforce|labor]] costs.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/airlines-formula-protecting-profits-higher-fares |title= Airlines' Formula For Protecting Profits: Higher Fares |date= 12 June 2018 |author= Jens Flottau, Adrian Schofield and Aaron Karp |work= [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]] |archive-date= October 27, 2018 |access-date= June 12, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181027143518/http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/airlines-formula-protecting-profits-higher-fares |url-status= live }}</ref>

Airlines often have a strong [[seasonality]], with traffic low in winter and peaking in summer. In Europe the most extreme market are the [[Greek islands]] with July/August having more than ten times the winter traffic, as [[Jet2]] is the most seasonal among [[low-cost carrier]]s with July having seven times the January traffic, whereas [[legacy carrier]]s are much less with only 85/115% variability.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.anna.aero/2017/03/01/greek-islands-jet2-com-seasonality-losers-europe/ |title= Seasonality: Jet2.com and Greek Islands most extreme in anna.aero leisure-legacy comparison |work= Airline Network News and Analysis |date= 1 March 2017 |archive-date= August 5, 2020 |access-date= March 1, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200805080424/https://www.anna.aero/2017/03/01/greek-islands-jet2-com-seasonality-losers-europe/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

If a particular city has two or more airports, market forces will tend to attract the less profitable routes, or those on which competition is weakest, to the less congested airport, where slots are likely to be more available and therefore cheaper. For example, [[Reagan National Airport]] attracts profitable routes due partly to its congestion, leaving less-profitable routes to [[Baltimore-Washington International Airport]] and [[Dulles International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wtop.com/baltimore/2018/11/which-d-c-area-airport-is-busiest/|title=Which DC-area airport is busiest?|date=21 November 2018|website=WTOP|language=en|access-date=17 March 2020|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725232714/https://wtop.com/baltimore/2018/11/which-d-c-area-airport-is-busiest/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The first [[airline alliance]] was formed in the 1930s when Pan Am and its subsidiary, [[Panair do Brasil]], agreed to codeshare routes in Latin America when they overlapped with each other.{{citation needed|reason=Do not add SimpleFlying source as it is unreliable per WP:SIMPLEFLYING|date=May 2024}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pan Am Historical Foundation - Battle for So. America |url=https://www.panam.org/take-off/the-battle-for-south-america-2 |access-date=2026-01-02 |website=www.panam.org}}</ref> {{Major airline alliances}}

 

The [[world's largest airlines]] can be defined in several ways. {{As of|2019||df=}}, [[American Airlines Group]] was the largest by fleet size, [[passenger]]s carried and [[revenue passenger mile]]. [[Delta Air Lines]] was the largest by [[revenue]], [[asset]]s value and [[market capitalization]]. [[Lufthansa Group]] was the largest by number of [[employee]]s, [[FedEx Express]] by freight [[Units_of_measurement_in_transportation#Payload-distance|ton-kilometers]], [[Turkish Airlines]] by number of countries served and [[UPS Airlines]] by number of destinations served<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=UPS Fact Sheet |url=https://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=FactSheets&id=1426321563187-193 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231144152/https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=FactSheets&id=1426321563187-193 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |access-date=24 January 2020 |website=UPS Pressroom}}</ref> (though [[United Airlines]] was the largest passenger airline by number of destinations served).<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Corporate fact sheet |url=https://hub.united.com/Corporate-Fact-Sheet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205134015/https://hub.united.com/corporate-fact-sheet/ |archive-date=5 December 2019 |access-date=24 January 2020 |website=United Hub |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Titans: The Biggest Airlines in the World in 2019 |url=https://skyrefund.com/en/blog/biggest-airlines-in-the-world |access-date=24 January 2020 |website=skyrefund.com |archive-date=January 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107161440/https://skyrefund.com/en/blog/biggest-airlines-in-the-world |url-status=live }}</ref>

Historically, air travel has survived largely through state support, whether in the form of equity or subsidies. The airline industry as a whole has made a cumulative loss during its 100-year history.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edemariam |first1=Aida |title=Wings of desire |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/feb/23/theairlineindustry.travelnews |access-date=26 December 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=23 February 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bonné |first1=Jon |title=Airlines still struggle with paths to profit |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3679292 |access-date=26 December 2025 |work=NBC News |date=12 December 2003 |language=en |archive-date=December 29, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251229001440/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3679292 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Aircraft engines emit [[noise pollution]], gases and particulate emissions, and contribute to [[global dimming]].<ref name=contrails>{{cite journal|title=Contrails reduce daily temperature range |first=David J. |last=Travis |author2=Carleton, Andrew M. |author3=Lauritsen, Ryan G |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |page=601 |volume=418 |year=2002 |url=http://facstaff.uww.edu/travisd/pdf/jetcontrailsrecentresearch.pdf |doi=10.1038/418601a |pmid=12167846 |issue=6898 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060503192714/http://facstaff.uww.edu/travisd/pdf/jetcontrailsrecentresearch.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2006 |bibcode=2002Natur.418..601T |s2cid=4425866 }}</ref> Growth of the industry in recent years raised a number of ecological questions.

Despite continuing efficiency improvements from the major aircraft manufacturers, the expanding demand for global air travel has resulted in growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2009, it was calculated that the aviation sector, including U.S. domestic and global international travel, make approximately 1.6 percent of global anthropogenic GHG emissions per annum. That year, North America accounts for nearly 40 percent of the world's GHG emissions from aviation fuel use.<ref>David McCollum, Gregory Gould, and David Greene. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation and Marine Transportation: Mitigation Potential and Policies, 2009.</ref>

In 2008 it was reported in the ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'' that the airline industry is responsible for about 11 percent of [[greenhouse gas]]es emitted by the U.S. transportation sector. [[Boeing]] estimated that [[biofuel]]s could reduce flight-related greenhouse-gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent. The solution put forth at the time would be to blend algae fuels with existing jet fuel:<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Energy | date=6 January 2008 | access-date=23 April 2010 | archive-date=May 14, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514091059/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html | url-status=live }}</ref> but so far this has yet to happen.

* Boeing and [[Air New Zealand]] were collaborating with leading Brazilian biofuel maker [[Tecbio]], [[New Zealand]]'s [[Aquaflow Bionomic]] and other jet biofuel developers around the world.

* [[Virgin Atlantic]] and [[Virgin Green Fund]] were looking into the technology as part of a biofuel initiative.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ángel González|date=30 August 2007|title=To go green in jet fuel, Boeing looks at algae|url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/boeingaerospace/2003858756_boeingenergy30.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502050249/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/boeingaerospace/2003858756_boeingenergy30.html|archive-date=2 May 2017|work=Seattle Times Newspaper}}</ref>

* [[KLM]] made the first commercial flight with biofuel in 2009.

There are projects on [[electric aircraft]], and some of which are fully operational as of 2013.{{cn|date=January 2026}}

Airlines follow a [[corporation|corporate]] structure where each broad area of operations (such as maintenance, flight operations (including flight safety), and passenger service) is supervised by a vice president. Larger airlines often appoint vice presidents to oversee each of the airline's hubs as well. Airlines employ [[lawyers]] to deal with regulatory procedures and other administrative tasks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hklaw.com/practices/aviation-regulation/|title=Aviation Regulation|website=www.hklaw.com|language=en|access-date=14 October 2017|archive-date=October 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015150155/https://www.hklaw.com/practices/aviation-regulation/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:011 Aircraft of various airlines together at Narita Airport, Japan. Swiss Air Lines, United Airlines, Thai Airways.JPG|thumb|Aircraft of various airlines parked side by side at [[Narita International Airport|Tokyo Narita Airport]], [[Japan]] in April 2012]]

As in many mature industries, consolidation is a trend. Airline groupings may consist of limited bilateral partnerships, long-term, multi-faceted alliances between carriers, equity arrangements, [[Mergers and acquisitions|mergers]], or [[takeover]]s.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=B. Rajesh |chapter=Mergers and Acquisitions in the Airline Industry |date=2012 |title=Mega Mergers and Acquisitions: Case Studies from Key Industries |pages=226–230 |editor-last=Kumar |editor-first=B. Rajesh |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |language=en |doi=10.1057/9781137005908_11 |isbn=978-1-137-00590-8}}</ref> Since governments often restrict ownership and merger between companies in different countries, most consolidation takes place within a country. By 1990, nearly 200 airlines in the U.S. had merged, been taken over, or gone out of business since the [[Airline Deregulation Act]] in 1978.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dempsey |first=Paul Stephen |date=1990 |title=Airline Deregulation and Laissez-Faire Mythology: Economic Theory in Turbulence |url=https://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/jalc/article/1918/&path_info=14_56JAirL_Com305_1990_1991_.pdf |journal=Journal of Air Law and Commerce |volume=56 |issue=2 |article-number=2 |page=323 |via=SMU Scholar}}</ref> Many international airline managers are lobbying their governments to permit greater consolidation to achieve higher economy and efficiency.{{cn|date=September 2025}}