Early and Rise of Commercial Aviation

Early Commercial Aviation

• First paying passenger flight occurred in 1914, between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, a scheduled route.
• Operated by the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, the pilot was Tony Jannus and the first passenger was Abram C. Pheil, who paid $400.
• Limited to one passenger at a time, the service operated for several months.
• By 1908, the very first passenger flight occurred, with Wilbur Wright carrying Charles Furnas for 2000 feet across the Kitty Hawk beach.
• 1919 saw the founding of KLM (Netherlands), Avianca (Colombia), Qantas (Australia), and Czech Airlines.
• Early aircraft were multi-engine, frequently needed to refuel, and flew at lower altitudes due to unpressurized cabins, making travel noisy, cold, and expensive.
• Flying times were lengthy, turbulence frequent, and air sickness common among passengers.

The Rise of Commercial Aviation

• By the 1930s, transpacific flights were expanding, albeit still rare.
• The Clipper 314, accommodating 74 passengers and 10 crew, could travel distances up to 3,500 miles.
• World War II interrupted commercial air travel's growth but advanced aviation technology for military use.
• Development of the multi-engine airplane Lawson C-2, specifically built for passenger transport, made commercial flights carrying passengers more common during the 1920s.
• The Douglas DC-3, introduced in 1935, dramatically improved commercial flight; faster, more reliable, and carrying up to 32 passengers, it had a cruising speed of 207 mph with a range of 1,500 miles
• Pan Am's introduction of the pressurized cabin (Boeing 307) in the late 1930s transformed passenger experience, enabling travel at higher altitudes.

Jet Age and Beyond

• The 1950s and 1960s saw a significant increase in commercial flights, carriers, and international routes.
• Airlines competed with perks like silver-service meals and wine.
• Pan Am pioneered global flights and computerized reservations.
• The Concorde, offering transatlantic flights in 3.5 hours, was exceptionally expensive, accessible only to the very wealthy.
• Laker Airways introduced budget options, offering lower fares by reducing inflight service, and paving the way for budget airlines.
• Boeing 747 introduced in 1970, capable of long-haul flights carrying large numbers of passengers.
• This new, large aircraft allowed more passengers to be carried, resulting in reduced ticket prices.
• Budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet emerged in the 1980s-90s, offering cheaper fares and changing the air travel market.
• The introduction of low-cost carriers and efficient aircraft, like the Boeing 747, increased accessibility to air travel.

Post-9/11 and Current Trends

• 9/11 attacks led to strict security measures at airports, including cockpit security.
• Passenger numbers took time to reach pre-9/11 levels, reaching a record high in 2007.
• Rise of online booking via websites increased demand for low-cost carriers.
• By the end of the 2010s, air passenger numbers experienced an all-time high.
• Between 2004 and 2019, the total number of commercial flights globally grew from 23.8 million to 38.9 million, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet projections still show levels exceeding 21 million in 2020 and over 30 million in 2021.
• Air travel continues to be a primary choice for long-distance travel, despite significant environmental concerns related to pollution.