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In 1978, Congress passed a law allowing airlines to set their own fares and routes, an event that transformed the commercial airline industry and the passenger experience.

How have computers transformed commercial flight? From ticket reservations to aircraft design and manufacture, computers have helped airline operations become more efficient and flexible.

A set of prosthetic ear tips made for Leonard Nimoy to portray Mr. Spock in “Star Trek: The Original Series” have been donated to the Museum by his son Adam Nimoy.

Air mail had helped the commercial aviation industry thrive in its early days. Contracts to deliver mail were awarded to airlines by the federal government, but small, independent airlines complained that the way contracts were distributed was unfair.

Astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt lived a short but deeply impactful life, during which her achievements failed to receive sufficient recognition. On the centennial of her death, we reflect on her life and legacy.

Flight attendants were some of the people at the forefront of the fight for equality in the 20th century. Meet some of these remarkable people in this article. 

In the early days of commercial air flight, airlines struggled to turn a profit and remain afloat. The United States government, hoping to foster the success of commercial airlines, met this challenge by using airplanes to move mail across the country.

At AirSpace we absolutely LOVE spotlighting stories about incredible aviators who might not already be on your radar. Today, we’re introducing you to the Chinese aviatrix Li Xiaqing: A literal movie star who learned to fly with the aspiration of serving her country. Li’s story is not only inspiring, it’s practically a screenplay waiting to be written. Born in 1911 into a rapidly changing China, she took flying lessons in Switzerland and the United States before returning to China in the 1930s. Despite being grounded by her home country during the war, she still found a way to use her skills in the war effort barnstorming across the US raising money for China. An actress, aviatrix, and altruist? Now, that’s a true triple threat.

One area in which commercial airlines were able to make a splash and successfully market themselves during the 1960s and 1970s was through what their flight attendants wore. To appeal to the mostly male travelers, airlines introduced miniskirts and hot pants, to the dismay of many flight attendants.

Glenn Lane told his incredible survival story to former Museum curator Jim Zimbelman who met him at and an airport by chance in 2007—he was returning from a reunion event at Pearl Harbor with a jacket that displayed the words 'USS Arizona Survivor.’ Read about the man that survived two battleships bombings in less than one hour.