dailynewsnblog
Which jet aircraft have been the most revolutionary in history? This article will limit the criteria to commercial passenger jets and will exclude pivotal military jets like the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the North American F-86 Sabre, which paved the way for the development of jet engines and aircraft for their adoption into the commercial sector. It will also exclude experimental aircraft.
The aircraft on this list include the 
Boeing 707, 737, 747, 787, and the Airbus A300. Other jet aircraft, like the de Havilland Comet, Douglas DC-8, Boeing 727, 777, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Airbus A320, and A350, have also made their splashes in the aviation industry over the years.
Boeing 707
First entered service in 1958
The first commercial passenger airliner to debut was the de Havilland Comet, which entered service in 1952 with the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). This could easily be listed as the first aircraft on this list, but the Comet was only produced in low numbers (114, including prototypes). The Comet 1 was developed with a fatal flaw from its squarish windows that caused three to break up in mid-flight, claiming the lives of everyone on board.
After the design flaw was realized, the remaining Comet 1s were grounded and left to rot. De Havilland built the Comet 3 with rounded windows, but by that time, other manufacturers, especially Boeing, were able to race ahead in the development of passenger jets. The 707 entered service in 1958, and its WC-135 Stratotanker relative remains the backbone of the USAF’s tanker refueling ops. It is considered the first successful jet airliner, and the aircraft that really set the Jet Age in motion.
A total of 820 Boeing 707s were produced. The jet was able to fly long distances and slashed transatlantic flight times, and is credited as being the aircraft that set the template for future jetliners. It cemented Boeing’s dominance in the industry and played an important role in transforming the fledgling commercial aviation sector into a mass-market industry
Boeing 737
First entered service in 1967
The Boeing 737’s launch was another revolutionary moment in the aviation industry. The aircraft proved so versatile and successful that it remains by far and away the oldest commercial aircraft still in production. Over the years, the 737 has been continuously upgraded, with the 737 MAX family being one of the two cornerstones of the modern narrowbody aviation market. Until mid-2025, the 737 was the most produced commercial passenger aircraft in history.
The aircraft’s modular design allowed it to evolve into the Classic, then the Next Generation, and finally the MAX series. With that being said, with the benefit of hindsight, it is debatable whether Boeing should have developed the MAX , or whether it would have been more prudent to have developed a clean sheet replacement. Still, the 737 introduced low operating costs and was the ideal solution for low-cost carriers and the affordable air travel many take for granted today.
The 737’s reign was only challenged in the late 1980s as Airbus developed the competing A320, which was the first airliner to introduce fully fly-by-wire and side-stick controls. The A320 has been able to overcome the two-decade headstart of the 737 to recently overtake it as the world’s most produced airliner family. These two aircraft types are the backbone of the aviation industry, and Boeing and Airbus are only now in the early stages of developing their replacements, which are expected in the 2030s.
The Evolution Of Boeing Commercial Jets: From The 707 To The 777X
The American planemaker has come a long way since the 707 first flew more than 67 years ago.
Boeing 747
First entered service in 1970
The Boeing 747 debuted in 1970 and soon became an iconic symbol of US engineering, Pan Am, the golden age of air travel, and globalization. Boeing bet against supersonic travel as Concorde was being developed and instead worked on the transonic widebody double-decked airliner. Airbus would end up making a bet on the continued success of the 747 and develop the A380 in the 2000s, but, by then the industry had moved on to smaller twin-engined airliners.
Production of the Boeing 747 continued until 2023, when the final Boeing 747-8F freighter variant was handed over to Atlas Air. The aircraft managed to dramatically reduce per-seat costs and enable the development of hub-and-spoke networks, transforming long-haul travel. Another transformative Boeing widebody not on this list, but still worth noting, is the Boeing 777. By default, following the end of the 747 and A380, the Triple-Seven is now the largest airliner on the market.
While this article is more interested in commercial passenger travel, it’s worth noting that the 747 was transformative for the freighter industry. It was also versatile enough to see numerous specialized applications from the outsized Dreamlifters to VC-25 ‘Air Force One’ Presidential transports and Space Shuttle Carriers. The 747 is being retired from passenger service, with only a few transporting paying guests today, but it is set to remain an important freighter for years to come.
Airbus A300
First entered service in 1974
The Airbus A300 was significant in many ways, as it was the first aircraft that Airbus made. It subsequently went on to be the aircraft that allowed for the emergence of a peer competitor that would eventually grow to surpass Boeing, even as Boeing absorbed McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed exited the commercial aviation industry. Airbus was established as a credible manufacturer, and the idea of a multinational European corporation took hold.
The A300 was the world’s first widebody twin-engine aircraft, marking a major leap in the industry. It also paved the way for ETOPS rules and twin-engine long-haul flights, which would prove a death knell for quadjets, including its four-engined A340 descendant. The final regularly scheduled passenger A300 appears to have been retired in Iran in 2025.
Another major innovation of the A300 was that it pioneered the use of composite materials in commercial airliners. This would be dramatically expanded on the Boeing 787 and A350 and offer significant fuel savings and other improvements. A total of 561 Airbus A300s were built by the time production ended in 2007. The aircraft was developed into the A310, and also paved the way for the four-engined A340, and, importantly, the popular A330 twinjet.
The latter’s A330neo descendant remains one of the four widebody commercial passenger aircraft currently on the market, alongside the A350, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777X (which is not yet in service). The A330neo entered service in 2018 and is not expected to attract the volume of orders as the clean sheet A350 and 787, but it still highlights the continued success of Airbus’ widebody legacy.
Boeing 747 Vs. Airbus A380: Which Is Still More Common In Service?
These two huge double-decker aircraft carry the most passengers per flight, but how many are left?
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
First entered service in 2011
Once again, Boeing made the right bet on the future of the aviation market by developing the 787 Dreamliner as Airbus brought the ‘white elephant’ A380 into service. The jet was built to replace the 767 (another revolutionary aircraft) and offered 25% fuel savings while dramatically increasing its range. The A380 was built for the hub-and-spoke model, while the Boeing 787 was built for a more flexible point-to-point model that allowed airlines to service thinner, long-haul routes.
However, the versatile 787 is also well-suited to hub-and-spoke models. It may be called the ‘hub buster’ by some commentators, but the Dreamliner still spends most of its time at hubs. The 787 was built with extensive advanced materials, including lightweight composite materials. Not only did it contribute to the demise of the A380, but it also forced Airbus to develop the A350, which in turn also contributed to the fall of the A380.
The A350, in almost every way (except the windows), is a worthy counterpart to the 787, although the Dreamliner is listed here as it was the first. The A350 entered service in 2015, compared to 2011 for the 787. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is now one of the most popular widebodies in history, with Boeing listing a total of 2,277 examples on order. The A350 follows with 1,447 orders and counting. It should be noted that there were other factors that helped the 787 and A350 overcome the A380.
One was that the engine manufacturers assured Airbus the engines they were offering for the A380 were the most efficient on the horizon. However, they later unveiled more efficient engines for the 787 and A350, after Airbus had already committed to the A380, leaving the firm blindsided. Time will tell if new aircraft in development, like the A320’s proposed successor with open fan engines, the Supersonic Boom Overture, or JetZero’s blended wing body Z4, become the next revolutions in the industry.
