Yes, for gliders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(sailplane)#Launch_and_...

Also related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_carriage

Last summer, I rode in a Rubik R-26 Góbé glider, invented by the father of the man who invented the Rubik's cube. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik_R-26_Góbé

Pretty fun experience. And if commercial airplanes ever start using this sort of launching technology, I imagine the takeoff would feel a lot smoother.

The short answer is that catapult systems are expensive and require a lot of maintenance. Even many Navies don’t use catapult assisted launches for that very reason. Additionally, commercial aircraft aren’t designed for that kind of force applied to their main gear. They’d most likely have to be modified.

Naval catapults don't apply force to the main gear either. Mostly is to the nose gear now, but it used to through the use of bridles to points on the wing (and wing spar). The bridles were a pain though, so they transitioned everything to the nose gear attachment. You can tell when a carrier transitioned, because they took the bridle catchers off the bow (the little narrow ramps at the front).

I wonder what sort of force you could generate with a series of electric coils in the ground? It lacks moving parts, so it should be low maintenance. You'd need magnets on the gear of the plane, offsetting the weight savings though. Yeah, you'd definitely need to reinforce the landing gear, but I think that's doable.

I think I am going to stick with the commercial flights without the catapult if this ever happens