Which airline was the first to use an aircraft for transporting paying passengers?

"Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft” is also know as DELAG. In German it stands for "German Airship Travel Corporation". The company was founded in 1909 and operated rigid airships manufactured by the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Corporation for transporting paying passengers.

The airline was founded after a suggestion by the business manager of Zepplin Luftschiffbau, Alfred Colsman. The Zepplin Corporation was having issues with selling their ships to the German army, so he suggested establishing a commercial passenger-carrying company. Colsman became the company’s general director and raised the funds to start the enterprise.

The first Zeppelin to be constructed for the company was LZ 7, which was named Deutschland. It was first flown on June 19, 1910 and had accommodation for 24 passengers, cruising speed 32 mph. Because of the speed, scheduled inter-city services weren't possible, so the company limited them to short distance pleasure cruises. It crashed nine days later with a group of journalists on board that was intended to generate publicity with no serious injuries.

DELAG started nonstop transatlantic flights using LZ 127 (Graf Zepplin). The first transatlantic trip in 1928 took four days to reach Lakehurst Field, New Jersey. By 1931, a passenger service started between Germany and South America.

DELAG ceased operations in 1935. Its successor company was the state-sponsored DZR and carried on operating Zepplins, including the ill-fated Hindenburg.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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43 Comments

Ron Garfinkle

Actually, the Tampa-St Petersburg Air Boat Company had the first paying customer.

Tom Seigo

Chrissy Krainock Luders, It seems quite obvious to me that "aircraft" can be more than airplane!

Marcel Lucien

Joseph A. Robitaille, why not?

Janice Fish

It depends on your source for information. I think the question requires clarity.

Chrissy Krainock Luders

What's your definition of "aircraft". See below link.

Cottec

Thought the Zeppelin’s were balloons and not aircraft as we know them today.

Eileen Dunn

Went with maj wrong again.

Lynne Zeman

Once again, this site has taught me. This time taught me how limited my thinking is, to think it must be American. After all, the Wright Bros invented the first plane, so it must be American! Not speaking for all Americans, but because we are a relatively isolated country/continent we don't always consider different options. We appear arrogant to other countries. I really don't think that is the case. Most of us haven't a clue.

Audrey Spratt

Night if guessed as we won the war But Germany have the 1 st of every thing ?? Just a thought 🤔

Trish Fritz

The Tampa-St. Petersburg Air Boat Company was the first to have paying customers !!!

Chris Braid

I took a (wrong) punt because the Tampa-St Petersburg Air Boat Co did not appear on the answers list!

Syed Hussain

I was certain it would be either of those two unpronunciable ? ones. I guessed wrong.

Marc Chabot

Agree with Ron

bradcoath

That is not the case. And an airship is NOT an airplane. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is universally regarded as the worlds first airline. Said former flight attendant, corporate traveler manager and airline geek...me

Ed Taber

Joseph A. Robitaille, Blimp stands for Type 'B 'limp barrage balloon, nothing like a rigid Zeppelin. The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen because the US refused to sell helium to Germany because the limies had their own dirigible company and played dirty pool, as usual.

jreyes

Ron Garfinkle, Ron Garfinkle, And the fare was only $5 per ticket! Not tooo bad; in 1969, l flew from San Juan, PR to St Thomas, US Virgin Islands by Caribair (Caribbean Air) -- now defunct) paying only 9 bucks per trip.

jreyes

Tom Seigo, Tom Seigo, And the fare was only $5 per ticket !! Not too bad, in 1969 I flew from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St Thomas, VI by Caribair (Caribbean Airways -- defunct) paying only 9 bucks per trip.

Don Viera

Aircraft in this case does not mean Airplane. An aircraft with paying passengers is another qualifiers. I used a 50/50 and chose KLM instead of DELAG which made this harder to take. But it was a good question.

Thomas Begeng

Hmmmm... I wonder when the first hot air balloon flights took place for paying passengers? They were invented in the late 1700's surely by 1910 someone had commercialised joy flights? The term "aircraft"' first appeared in a dictionary in 1851 and was used to describe balloons and (at the time) non rigid airships so would fit within the scope of the question.