In 1964 Boeing elected to add a short-haul airliner to its range of commercial jet transport to compete with the Douglas DC-9 and the BAC 111, both of which were then in an advanced stage of development.

The Boeing Model 40 series of light commercial biplanes was one of the first successful transport aircraft produced by the Boeing Airplane Co.

The Twin Bonanza was the first twin-engine, light commercial aircraft of post-war design to be produced in the United States.