As the Great War ended, the world of aviation had been entirely transformed. Where once the airplane was little more than a novelty for the crowds and a small circle of aviators, thousands had been manufactured from factories specialized in their construction. Aviation, both airships and planes, surged through the twenties as more powerful aircraft were now capable of crossing continents and carrying ever more passengers and freight. The twenties saw the vast expansion of air mail routes, as the first successful airplane airliners were taking to the skies. 

The thirties saw the expansion of airlines to the international stage with the airships of DELAG setting many milestones, while Pan Am and British Imperial airways were building ever larger fleets of planes to service ever growing routes. Further advancements were made as aircraft became capable of flying ever faster and further, carrying more goods. Engine performance surged with the use of superchargers and turbochargers, which were increasing output and allowing planes to fly at much higher altitudes. These featured prominently in the military build up later on, with fighters and bombers mounting powerful supercharged engines to allow them to fly faster, higher while carrying heavier armaments.

As with the First World War, the destructiveness of all these new developments were soon witnessed on a scale never before seen. The airplane had become one of the most important tools to every side of the conflict, be it as a reconnaissance tool to surveil the enemy, a fighter to pursue enemy planes, bombers that rained destruction on the scale of cities, or ambulances that carried the wounded to safety. The war saw the use of ever more sophisticated technologies as one side attempted to develop an edge over the other. Radar allowed night fighters to seek targets in darkness, specialized planes for aircraft carriers could be deployed the world over, and by the end were turbojet aircraft which flew far faster than anything built thus far. However, even in the destructiveness of the war, many manufacturers were prepared for the peace and saw a new generation of intercontinental airliners ready to take the stage.