Pan Am began the first scheduled commercial round-the-world service in 1947.
Pan American World Airways launched the route using Boeing 377 Stratocruiser aircraft, connecting the United States with destinations in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The service demonstrated the scale of postwar international air travel, although it involved multiple stops rather than a nonstop flight.
Pan Am had already built extensive experience in international aviation through its flying-boat routes and wartime transport operations. After World War II, the airline used long-range landplanes to expand its global network and helped define the image of the modern international carrier.
A round-the-world service should not be confused with a nonstop circumnavigation. Pan Am’s operation was a scheduled commercial route around the globe with intermediate airports, passengers, and regular airline timetables.