1949: Berlin Airlift officially ends, with 2,325 tons (2,362 tons) of food and supplies having been flown into the city. The final flight is made a week later.

1957: Austrian Airlines is founded.

1958: Britain's last flying boat is withdrawn from commercial service when Aquila Airways terminated its service on the Southampton--Funchal (Madeira) route.

1968: The first Boeing 747 is rolled out.

1971: First flight of the Avro Shackleton AEW2 WL745.

1975: First flight of the Hughes YAH-64 73-22248.

1978: Finnair Flight 405, a Caravelle flying from Oulu to Helsinki, is hijacked by an unemployed building contractor. After forcing the pilot to fly to Amsterdam and Helsinki, the hijacker's demands are met and he agrees to turn himself in - after spending 24 hours at home with his wife. The story would later form the basis of the Finnish movie "Kaappari" ("The Hijack That Went South"). Read more...

1982: The 1st round-the-world flight in a helicopter is completed as the Bell Long Ranger II, flown by Americans H. Ross Perot Jr. and Jay Coburn, lands safely.

1989: SR-71 program terminated by Air Force and Intelligence officials.

1996: First flight of the Aero L-59 Super Albatross.

2003: Air France and KLM announce their plans to merge.

2014: Airbus A350-900 receives EASA Certification.