APUs became common in the 1960s, with Boeing including the first commercial APU in the 727 in 1963. While the technology had existed in military planes as early as World War 1, their move to commercial flying came as flying became more popular.

The presence of an APU in the 727 allowed airlines to avoid reliance on ground power at smaller airports. The turbine came to be included in all subsequent Boeing aircraft, including the 737 and 747 families. Since then, all modern jets and even some turboprops have come with their own APUs.