▁range ▁needed ▁for ▁trans o cean ic ▁fl ights , ▁and ▁all ▁were ▁expensive ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁passenger ▁capacity . ▁The ▁war ▁acceler ated ▁development ▁of ▁large , ▁long - r anged ▁aircraft . ▁Four - eng ined ▁bom bers , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Av ro ▁Lanc aster ▁and ▁Bo eing ▁B - 2 9 ▁Super fort ress , ▁with ▁their ▁range ▁and ▁massive ▁carrying ▁capacity , ▁were ▁natural ▁pro tot ypes ▁for ▁post - war ▁next - gener ation ▁air lin ers . ▁Jet ▁engine ▁technology ▁also ▁acceler ated ▁due ▁to ▁w art ime ▁development ▁of ▁jet ▁aircraft . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁the ▁De ▁Hav ill and ▁Com et ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁jet ▁air lin er ; ▁the ▁Sud ▁A viation ▁Car av elle , ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 0 7 ▁and ▁Douglas ▁DC - 8 ▁followed , ▁and ▁much ▁long - distance ▁travel ▁was ▁done ▁by ▁air . ▁The ▁Italian ▁Line ' s ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁were ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁primarily ▁for ▁l iner ▁service ▁across ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic . ▁C un ard ' s ▁trans at l antic ▁l iner , ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁ 2 , ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁cru ise ▁ship . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁ 9 5 % ▁of ▁passenger ▁traffic ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁was ▁by ▁aircraft . ▁Thus ▁the ▁reign ▁of