Reaching for the Skies S01E08 - Rivals Over the Atlantic

Of all the air routes in the world, none have been more fiercely contested than those between Europe and the United States. The invention of the jet engine was to signal the start of the second battle of the Atlantic - the combatants were the giant aircraft manufacturers and airline operators - De

Havilland and Boeing, BOAC and Pan Am. As the airline passenger market grew in the 60s and 70s, Boeing emerged the clear leader. Europe's gamble on speed with Concorde had failed - size and economy had won. The 747 Jumbo jet was the king of the airliners.