Airliners.net is an aviation website that includes an extensive photo database of aircraft and airports, as well as a forum catering to aviation enthusiasts. Founded by Johan Lundgren, Jr. in Sweden, the site originated in 1996 as Pictures of Modern Airliners. It was acquired by the US company Demand Media (now known as Leaf Group) in 2007, and underwent a major redesign in 2016.
History
Johan Lundgren, Jr., an IT student/aviation enthusiast attending Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, created the site Pictures of Modern Airliners in 1996. Lundgren had been working on the site during his military service. It initially hosted only his own aircraft photos before a new section was created for other photographers to upload their photos.
In 1997, Lundgren transitioned to a new site entitled Airliners.net and established a web server in his dormitory room. Three more servers were added, and eventually all servers were relocated to the computer rooms at the university. Lundgren started investing all of his time into the site, although he received help from a growing number of volunteers. Reasons behind the decision included the difficulty of managing the rapidly growing site, which was by that point supported by 25 servers.