History Brief: The Rise of the Airline Industry

This video gives a brief description of the rise of the airline industry in the 19teens through the 1950s. Teachers, check out our Tpt store

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Many people began traveling by air during the 1920s. What developments took place to help this happen? Who were some of the notable figures?

On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully flew the first airplane. This first flight lasted only 12 seconds and went 120 feet, but within just a few years great strides had been made. As little as thirteen years later, daring pilots were dogfighting each other over the battlefields of Europe during World War I.

Following the war, many talented pilots implemented their skills as they traveled across the country “barnstorming”. These pilots would perform individually, or in groups known as flying circuses, showing off their talents and the abilities of their airplanes. Spectators at county fairs and other gatherings marveled at the mechanical wonders.

Enterprising people quickly saw that the airplane could be used for much more. In the early 1920s, mail was regularly being transported by airplanes. As the planes became bigger and capable of hauling heavier loads, larger freight was transported as well.

Soon, even people were traveling by plane.

The first commercial flight actually occurred in 1914. A passenger paid $400 to take a 23 minute flight from St. Petersburg, Florida to Tampa Bay. However, passenger flights did not become practical for several more years. As airplane manufacturers developed more powerful engines, and the technology to fly higher and faster, airplane trips continued to get longer and more economical.

In 1927, the nation’s first airport terminal was opened. It included a ticket office and a waiting room. By 1929, several more airports had opened waiting rooms for passengers. Travelers were catching on to the idea of flying from one city to the next and even across the country.

Several adventurous pilots were constantly attempting to break new barriers. Different teams of pilots had been flying across the Atlantic Ocean since 1919, but in 1927, Charles Lindbergh did something special. That year, he became the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. He flew from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours. When he arrived in Paris, he was greeted by an enormous crowd who had been anticipating his arrival.

In no time at all, airlines realized that they too could cross the Atlantic. Juan Trippe started Pan-American World Airways, which offered flights not only across the Atlantic, but eventually across the Pacific as well. As the airline industry entered into the 1930s and 40s, it would continue to revolutionize the world of travel.