The increased German air traffic in the 1920s led to a requirement for a larger passenger transport aircraft.

Under the restrictions imposed on aircraft in Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, only low powered engines were allowed.

The Allied Commission ultimately allowed Junkers to build the G23, even in the single engined version, because it was clearly an airline type.

[3] Junkers continued to build the G 24/G 23 as a tri-motor, because the ruse to circumvent the Allied restrictions also had the benefit that the plane could fly, and even climb, with one engine out.

Twin-engine types could not maintain altitude with an engine out, unless they were so overpowered that the airlines could not afford to operate them (similarly to how twinjets were impractical on long-range routes before 1980s, and how trijets were used instead).

On 1 May 1926, the newly formed German airline Deutsche Luft Hansa started flying passengers on the route Berlin – Königsberg at night using its G 24 fleet.

Fritz Horn flew 2,020 km (1,256 mi) with a payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) on 14 h 23 min, having an average speed of 140 km/h (90 mph), setting a new world record.

Flygindustri at Limhamn in Sweden as the German aviation industry was prevented from building military aircraft in 1926.

[7] Furthermore, this arrangement kept the structural drag, particularly in light of the streamlined cowlings for the wing-mounted engines that ensured smooth air flow around them, while the positioning of the propellers meant that any pieces thrown off from a broken propeller would not strike any vital part of the aircraft, unlike more commonplace tandem arrangements.

[7] Both the cantilever wings and fuselage were covered with corrugated sheets of duralumin, a feature that bolstered the material's ability to both absorb and distribute various stresses imposed upon it.

[8] The foundation for the aircraft's structure was the central section, which received the principal loads and worked in conjunction with the low-mounted wing which, in the event of a hard landing, provided considerable protection to the cabin and its occupants.

[11] In an airliner configuration, the cabin would be furnished with around 14 leather-covered chairs, each aligned to their own window, while an aisle permitted travellers to move about.

Nets were used to stow hand baggage while the majority of luggage was stored in a dedicated room alongside the toilet.

[12] The usable volume within the fuselage was relatively high towards the rear, an element that proved to be quite convenient for the travelling public as passengers did not have to remain in allocated positions, unlike many other airliners of the era, as equilibrium was maintained via adjustments made by the pilot to the stabiliser throughout the flight.

[12] Wheels located between the pilots seats were used to adjust the stabiliser and rudder (the latter was typically used in the event of a wing-mounted engine stall).

Other controls included the ignition switches, throttles, fuel cocks and shutter levels for regulating the radiator's temperature.

[8] The undercarriage was outfitted with sizable disk-wheels and balloon tires that had a breaking strength of 20 metric tons.

Akin to many of Junkers airplanes, it was possible to replace the standard undercarriage for land use with either floats or skis in a manner that was both practical and speedy to perform.

The internal volume of the floats was divided into numerous water-tight compartments; sizable manholes were present to permit inspection of the interior spaces.

[2] Luft Hansa, which operated the largest G 24 fleet in the world, decided to modify their G 24s to a single engine standard.

A Swedish G 24 also participated in the rescue of the unfortunate Italian Umberto Nobile expedition to the North pole.