The Boeing 707 became the world’s first commercially successful jetliner.
The aircraft entered airline service in 1958 with Pan American World Airways, transforming long-distance passenger travel. Its swept wings and four jet engines allowed it to fly faster and higher than piston-powered airliners.
The 707 was developed from Boeing’s 367-80 prototype, commonly called the Dash 80. The same prototype also led to the KC-135 Stratotanker, but the military tanker and civil airliner had different interiors and systems.
The de Havilland Comet flew earlier, so the 707 was not the first jet airliner ever built. Its importance was its commercial success and the worldwide jet-age market it helped create.