| Date |
Event |
| 1927 |
First American airline to operate a permanent international air service. |
| 1927 |
First American airline to operate land planes over water on regularly sheduled flights. |
| 1927 |
First American airline to operate multi-engine aircraft permanently in sheduled transportation. |
| 1928 |
First American airline to use radio communications. |
| 1928 |
First American airline to carry emergency livesaving equipment. |
| 1928 |
First airline to use multiple flight crews. |
| 1928 |
First American airline to develop an airport and airways traffic control system. |
| 1928 |
First American airline to order and purchase aircraft built to its own specifications, the Sikorsky S-38. |
| 1929 |
First American airline to employ cabin attendants and serve meals aloft. |
| 1929 |
First airline to develop and use instrument flying techniques. |
| 1929 |
First American airline to develop a complete aviation weather service. |
| 1930 |
First American airline to offer international air express service. |
| 1931 |
First American airline to develop and operate four-engine flying boats. |
| 1932 |
First airline to sell all-expense international air tours. |
| 1935 |
First airline to develop and use long-range weather forecasting. |
| 1935 |
First American airline to install facilities for heating food aboard on aircraft. |
| 1935 |
First airline to operate sheduled transpacific service |
| 1939 |
First airline to provide transatlantic passenger and mail service |
| 1942 |
First airline to complete a round-the-world flight. |
| 1942 |
First airline to operate international service with all-cargo aircraft. |
| 1944 |
First airline to propose a plan for low cost, mass transportation on a worldwide basis. |
| 1945 |
First airline to use high-speed commercial land planes on a transatlantic route, the Douglas DC-4. |
| 1946 |
First airline to operate non-stop scheduled service between Miami and New York (National). |
| 1946 |
First American airline to install GCA, Ground Controlled Approach, in overseas operations. |
| 1946 |
IGS (Internal German Service) started service. |
| 1947 |
First airline to operate a scheduled round-the-world service. |
| 1948 |
First airline to provide tourist-class service outside the continental US. |
| 1949 |
Pan Am is the launch customer for Boeing's B-377 Stratocruiser. |
| 1950 |
First airline with low-cost day and night coach service on the East Coast. (National) |
| 1950 |
First commercial airline to enter the Korean airlift. |
