Aviation history
Aircraft Manufacturers
The companies behind the aircraft you fly on: how they started, where their planes are built, the bets that made or nearly broke them, and the aircraft that defined them.
Building airliners today
United States · since 1916
Boeing
From a red barn in Seattle to the 707, 747 and 787.
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Europe · since 1970
Airbus
A European consortium that built the best-selling airliner family ever.
Brazil · since 1969
Embraer
A government start-up that became the world’s third-largest jet maker.
China · since 2008
COMAC
China’s bid to break the Airbus–Boeing duopoly, with the C919.
France & Italy · since 1981
ATR
The Franco-Italian turboprop specialist that dominates regional routes.
Canada · since 1928
De Havilland Canada & Bombardier
Bush planes, the Dash 8, the CRJ and the jet that became the A220.
Russia · since 2000s
Sukhoi & Yakovlev
The Superjet 100 and the MC-21, redesigned after 2022.
India · since 1940
HAL
The HS 748, the Dornier 228 and a planned regional jet.
The legends that are gone
Companies that shaped air travel and no longer build airliners, and what happened to them.
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United States · since 1921
Douglas & McDonnell Douglas
The DC-3, the DC-10, the MD-80 — and the last 717 in 2006.
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United States · since 1912
Lockheed
The Constellation, the Electra and the TriStar.
United Kingdom · since 1920
de Havilland
The Moth, and the Comet — the world’s first jet airliner.
UK & France · since 1962
The Concorde Makers
BAC and Sud Aviation’s supersonic airliner.
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Netherlands · since 1912
Fokker
The F.VII, the F27 Friendship and the Fokker 100.
United States · since 1943
Convair
Successful Convairliners, then jets too fast for their own good.
Ukraine · since 1946
Antonov
The An-2 biplane, the An-124 and the An-225 Mriya.
Russia · since 1922
Tupolev
The Tu-104, the Tu-154 and the supersonic Tu-144.
Russia · since 1933
Ilyushin
The Soviet long-haulers: Il-18, Il-62, Il-86 and Il-96.
Sweden · since 1937
Saab
The Saab 340 and 2000 turboprops, built until 1999.
Japan · since 1962
Mitsubishi & Japan
The YS-11, the MU-2 and the cancelled SpaceJet.
Germany · since 1920s
Dornier
The 12-engined Do X, the 228 and the 328.
Coming next: the rest of the world’s makers — Tupolev, Ilyushin, Sukhoi and Irkut, Antonov, Mitsubishi, Saab, Dornier and HAL.