The Old-School Jet That Revolutionized Commercial Air Travel Is Still Flying Out Of Airports Today

The year was 1935. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi; Kodak released the Kodachrome film, and the Douglas DC-3 took its first flight. Now, 90 years later, while Elvis may be gone, the DC-3 flies on. The aircraft was an instant hit in commercial aviation because it could take passengers from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with three stops – seven hours and several stops faster than earlier planes. 

By 1937, the president of American Airlines said that the DC-3 "was the first airplane in the world that could make money just by hauling passengers" (via National Air and Space Museum). By 1938, 95% of all U.S. commercial airline traffic was on DC-3s. Its groundbreaking — or air-shattering — speed records were only half the reason the plane quickly dominated the skies. It was also considered a luxurious experience on the inside. According to the Air Line Pilots Association, International, Orville Wright, the father of flight, was so impressed that he gushed about the DC-3 to reporters. "They tell me that [the aircraft] is so soundproof that the passengers can talk to each other without shouting," he reportedly said.

While its luxury may not hold up to today's standards, the plane's mechanics have truly stood the test of time. Remarkably, the DC-3 is still in service — and not just in historical planes and spacecraft museums. Despite the last DC-3 being produced in the 1940s, the plane remains the vehicle of choice for many commercial cargo transport operations. In 2020, the Royal Aeronautical Society even reported that the plane is still "the most sensible, economical and mechanically solid vehicle to land on a dirt strip."

Don't worry — while the DC-3 is still operational, you'll never show up to an airport only to find out your plane rolled off an assembly line in 1935 — even if you booked through a low-cost airline. The DC-3 has not operated commercial passenger flights in decades. These days, the plane is primarily used to transport cargo to remote regions and rough landing strips.

Florida Air Cargo relies on three DC-3 aircraft to deliver goods throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. The company's president, Sergio Allen, told Vintage Aviation News that his commitment to the DC-3 is not sentimental; it's practical. "The airplane allows us to operate from short fields and can carry a lot of fuel. It simply makes me money!" he said. A DC-3 also makes nearly daily runs up north, bringing the heat across Alaska in service for Desert Air Alaska. The airline credits the plane's oversized doors, large tundra tires, and ability to land on short runways with making it uniquely equipped to serve the off-the-beaten-path towns and untouched wilderness along the Last Frontier. In August 2025, another DC-3, renovated and upgraded into a Basler BT-67, flew 11,000 Kilometers from Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, down to the striking, "end of the world" landscapes in the Tierra del Fuego. 

If you want a closer look, several companies offer joyrides aboard the iconic plane that doubles as a piece of history. Warbirds Flights in Oregon and Incredible Adventures in California will both strap you in to a DC-3 for a joyride. In Norway, Dakota Norway operates a DC-3 that once served as the private plane of former Finnish President Urho Kekkonen.