When were airplanes first used for commercial purposes?

Burgess Co. becomes the first licensed commercial aircraft manufacturer. 1913 ... First permanent airport and commercial terminal used solely for commercial flights opens at Flughafen Devau near Konigsberg, East Prussia. 1922 ... Boeing designs the 307 Stratoliner, the first commercial aircraft with a pressurized cabin. read more

The United States had created manufacturing plants that were capable of making commercial aircraft affordable enough to allow for air travel for everyone. This was a big change from the beginning of the aviation era. With planes being able to be mass produced, more companies could compete with one another for customers and destination cities. read more

After World War II, commercial aviation grew rapidly, using mostly ex-military aircraft to transport people and cargo. This growth was accelerated by the glut of heavy and super-heavy bomber airframes like the B-29 and Avro Lancaster that could be converted into commercial aircraft. read more