Development of the US Airline Industry - Essay Example

The earliest initiative to promote the US airline industry was the formation of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1915(NACA). This body was funded by the government to research aircraft design and it was able to create the first supersonic aircraft. NACA was later integrated with NASA. With high-speed aircraft, airplanes began to be seen as an alternative to trains and roads. The major reason behind the evolution of this industry was the United States Postal Service. The USPS used army services during the early 1920 but since the army was involved in the World War, it could not render much time to the postal service (US Air).  In 1925, the government passed the Air mail act which allowed private airlines to carry postal mail. The government took this step because it believed that it would promote the airline industry in the country and also provide economical support to the country (Harry, 2004). This served as a great initiative and the number of flights rose to a considerably large level. The private airlines expanded under this act and soon a large number of airlines were operating that not only delivered postal mail but also offered passenger services. However, with the increased number of flights and no monitoring and regulatory body, accidents were very common. The leaders and protagonists of the aviation industry urged the government to create a body that could monitor air traffic. An Air Commerce Act was passed on 20th May 1926 according to which an Aeronautic Branch was created. The Aeronautic branch was not only responsible for the certification of the planes and pilots but also to create airways and an air navigation system, which would help prevent the accidents that had become increasingly common. The First World War greatly helped in the development of the US airline industry. The need for movement of a huge number of troops required a faster means of travel than the road or train. Special attention was given to aviation and the variety and efficiency of the planes improved greatly during these times (Rhoades, 2008).

As we now look back on the time, we can see that the American Airline industry passed through thick and thin but has emerged as one of the greatest industries in the country. Only a century after the first flight was taken, the US carries out the largest number of passenger flights in the world. The government played a very important role in its development and important initiatives which took place during the early to mid-19th century boosted the growth of this industry.