An airliner
is a type of aircraft
initially designed for the transportation
of paying passengers. There may be variants developed for air freight, military
or luxury corporate use. Occasionally the military version precedes the civilian
airliner. Examples are the Boeing
KC-135 and Boeing
707/720 series
and, looking to the future, perhaps the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey. Corporate or
military use may follow the withdrawal of the airplane
from use as a passenger transport, possibly for reasons of economy or environmental
restraint. Most airliners are owned or leased by airlines.
