THE GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
| Aircraft | Year of First Service | Development Costs (USD) Constant 2004 Dollars |
| Douglas DC-3 | 1936 | 4.3 Million |
| Douglas DC-6 | 1946 | 144 Million |
| Boeing 707 | 1958 | 1.3 Billion |
| Boeing 747 | 1970 | 3.7 Billion |
| Boeing 777 | 1995 | 7.0 Billion |
| Airbus A380 | 2007 | 14.4 Billion |
Even after adjusting for inflation, the development costs for new airliners have skyrocketed.