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History Of Airlines
by Frans Matran
http://www.airlineu.com
In 1891, German Otto Lillienthal began making thousands of
flights in gliders, but it was not until 12 years later
that the age of airplanes really began. On December 17,
1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful
flight of a gasoline-powered airplane at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina. After that first flight, the airplane developed
rapidly, and nations soon began to utilize flight for
military purposes.
The first airplane was delivered to the U.S. Army in 1909
at a cost of $30,000. It flew only 42 miles per hour. Used
for the first time during World War I, airpower became so
important to the military that in 1926 Congress established
the U.S. Army Air Corps. Pilot Tony Jannus is credited with
making the first commercial airline flight across Tampa Bay
on New Year's Day 1914. The United States Postal Service
received the financial backing from Congress to begin
experimenting with air mail service in 1918, using Curtiss
Jenny aircraft that had been procured by the U.S. Army for
reconnaissance missions.
A mail network was developed by the Postal Service between
New York and San Francisco in the mid 1920's and offered 12
contracts for routes to independent bidders. The independent
bidders who won these contracts grew into the airlines we
know today, Eastern, American, Northwest, Trans World and
United Airlines among others were all once part of the
postal service we know today.
Passenger service was sporadic during the early 1920s
because most airlines focused on carrying bags of mail. In
1925 the Ford Motor Company developed the all-metal Ford
Trimotor, the first successful American airliner. With a
12-passenger capacity, it helped passenger service become
profitable. Pan American World Airways revolutionized the
industry with a fleet of flying boats that linked Los
Angeles to Shanghai and Boston to London. It was the only
U.S. airline to go international before the 1940s. The
introduction of the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC-3 in the
1930s further aided in the profitability of the airline
industry. The Boeing 707, the first successful U.S. jet
airliner, introduced in the late 1950s, made airline flight
faster and more convenient.
The airline industry continued to grow at a rate of about
15% during the 50's and 60's and didn't slow down until the
80's and 90's brought only about a 5 to 6% growth in this
country. Some countries however, experienced huge growth
spurts because deregulation allowed greater pricing freedom
for some who took advantage and offered lower airfares.
Today's airline industry is nowhere near as profitable as
it once was though. September 11, and the recent rise of
gas prices has really brought the airline industry to it
knees. Big airline companies such as the recent bankruptcy
of Delta were inevitable and other airlines such as
American Airlines are cutting salaries and pensions to
their employee's just to stay in the air. Airline mergers
like the one between United and American West are becoming
more common also and it looks like this is the way it's
going to be for awhile with larger airlines. Lower-cost
airlines like Jet Blue are actually doing quit well, so in
the future if you want to fly somewhere, a smaller airline
company may be your best bet.
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