1946 in aviation

January
January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart from London-Heathrow Airport

January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford, Connecticut.

January 26 - Col William Councill sets a new US transcontinental speed record of 4 hours 13 minutes in a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

February
February 6 - TWA makes its first international flight from New York City NY, USA to Paris, France

February 11 - After lengthy negotiations, US and British government representatives reach the Bermuda Agreement, the first bilateral agreement regulating international commercial air transport. Agreement was also reached for IATA, the International Air Transport Association to coordinate and fix international air fares.

March
March 8 - the Bell 47 receives the first type certificate awarded to a commercial helicopter.

March 21 - The Strategic Air Command of the United States Army Air Force is formed.

May
May 31 - London-Heathrow Airport is officially opened.

June
June 15 - the US Navy's newly-formed Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, gives its first public performance at Jacksonville-Craig Field, Florida.

June 21 - a USAF P-80 Shooting Star carries the first air mail flown by jet.

July
July 1 - a B-29 Superfortress drops an atomic bomb on Bikini Atoll, Central Pacific in a nuclear test.

July 21 - a McDonnell FH Phantom makes the first landing by a jet aboard a US aircraft carrier, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt

September
September 1 Northwest Airlines initiates service between Seattle, USA and Anchorage, Alaska USA with DC-4 aircraft as the first sector of its proposed USA--Japan North Pacific route

September 7 - a Royal Air Force Gloster Meteor established a new world absolute air speed record of 615.65 mph (990.79 km/h) flown by Group Captain E.M. Donaldson off the coast of West Sussex, England.

September 16 - Italian airline Alitalia was formed.

September 19 - Portuguese airline Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (TAP) is formed.

September 27 - Geoffrey de Havilland Jr is killed when the de Havilland DH.108 breaks up in mid-air

September 29 - a United States Navy Lockheed P2V Neptune sets a new distance record of 11,235 miles (18,082 km)

October
October 3 – The Berlin-bound 4-engine Douglas DC-4 'Flagship New England' of AOA crashed into a mountainside just outside of Stephenville, Nfld. Canada. The aircraft was carrying mostly wives and children of US Army personnel serving in post-war Germany. All 39 people on board died. At the time, it was the worst accident of its kind among US civilian airlines.

November
November 23 - An Avro Lancastrian powered with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets is credited with the first international passenger jet flight from London to Paris. The flight time was just 41 minutes.

First flights

January
January 19 - Bell X-1 (unpowered)

February
February 28 - Republic XP-84 Thunderjet 45-54975

April
April 24 - Mikoyan-Gurevich I-300, the Soviet Union's first jet
April 24 - Yakovlev Yak-15 (three hours after the I-300)

May
May 17 - Douglas XB-43, first US jet bomber 44-61508
May 22 - de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk

June
June 6 - Aérocenter NC.3020 Belphégor
June 7 - Short Sturgeon prototype RK787
June 25 - Northrop XB-35 flying wing bomber 42-13603

July
July 7 - Hughes XF-11
July 27 - Supermarine Attacker prototype TS409

August
August 8 - Convair XB-36 42-13570

September
September 11 - Lavochkin La-150
September 11 - North American XFJ-1, prototype of the FJ Fury, the first jet aircraft to enter service with the US Navy

November
November 11 - SNCASO SO-6000 Triton, France's first jet
November 11 - Avions Fairey Belfair OO-TIA
November 13 - Sukhoi Su-9
November 16 - Saab 90 Scandia prototype SE-BCA

December
December 2 - T-34 Mentor
December 12 - Westland Wyvern TS371

Entered service

September
September 1 - Vickers Viking with British European Airways (G-AHOP)
September 30 - Short S.26 with BOAC Golden Hind (G-AFCI)