Although the first airplanes flew near the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, commercial aviation only began in the late 1920s and 1930s. At the time, airports were minimal, radar hadn't been invented, and accidents were common. By the end of World War II, though, the introduction of the jet and radar revolutionized commercial travel. Faster jets and safer landings lured the public to air transportation in a way never seen before.