1935Reputable sourceWell documented
The Modern Airliner: The DC-3
On the timeline · around 1935 ·
What happened
In 1935 the Douglas DC-3 first flew, and it became the airplane that made air travel practical and profitable. All-metal, strong, and comfortable, the 21-seat DC-3 was so efficient that by 1939 it carried the vast majority of the world's airline passengers — the first airliner an airline could operate profitably without government subsidy.
Why it matters
The DC-3 created the modern airline business, proving that carrying passengers by air could pay for itself. Rugged and reliable, many were still flying decades later, and it set the template for the airliners that followed.
Sources
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Making the Modern Airliner · Reputable source