- While only a handful of airlines operate in the US today, the skies used to feature a lot of diversity.
- Airlines such as Pan American, Trans World Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines once roamed but each fell prey to changing times.
- Airline deregulation, rising fuel prices, and rising oil prices all contributed to the consolidation of the American aviation industry.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
When searching for flights in the US today, you’ll likely see results from three main airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, as well as a handful of smaller airlines like JetBlue and Spirit.
The “big three,” as they’re now referred to, aren’t immediately what comes to mind when the term golden age of aviation is thrown around, but they’ve survived the test of time to become the most stable carriers in the country.
It wasn’t always just the big three, however, as the US has a long history of airlines, both iconic and infamous, serving the skies. From the early days of aviation to the turn of the century, the airlines of America were known the world over, but even its most iconic couldn’t survive past the early days of the new millennium.
The consolidation of the country’s airlines into what we have today was the result of decades of mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, bankruptcies, and collapses that plagued the industry since its inception.
While the historic airlines that made the golden age of aviation possible are no longer around, their legacies are solidified in each of the three big airlines flying today.
The current American Airlines is built upon corporate mergers with US Airways and Trans World Airlines. United Airlines ascended to the top following a merger with Continental Airlines and the acquisition of Pan Am's Pacific network. Delta Air Lines joined the exclusive club following a merger with Northwest Airlines
Take a look at some of the airlines that once graced American skies but, for one reason or another, are no longer flying.
Northwest Airlines
Like many of the airlines of the time, Northwest Airlines started in 1926 as a mail carrier under the name Northwest Airways, according to the Delta Museum. Although its name would suggest otherwise, its base of operations focused largely around the Midwest, with cities such as Minneapolis and Detroit its main hubs.
One of its strong suits was international service to Asia, which was offered mainly from Midwestern hubs and West Coast cities. The airline was one of the few in the US to maintain a hub outside of its home country in Tokyo, Japan, where it served both US and regional Asia-Pacific destinations.
Despite making it to the 2000s, Northwest Airlines disappeared from the world's skies in 2008 when it merged with Delta Air Lines. The Delta name was kept and the airline kept Northwest's route network largely intact, especially from Detroit and Minneapolis.
The airline was an iconic user of the Boeing 747, which carried on into its Delta legacy. Delta faithfully carried on flying the Jumbo Jet, serving mostly Asian destinations with the aircraft until its retirement of the aircraft in 2018.
Air Florida
Air Florida, as its name would suggest, started off as in 1972 as an airline to connect cities across Florida, according to Sunshine Skies. Deregulation allowed the airline to expand into the Northeast, Caribbean, and even Europe, serving as an unofficial ambassador of the Sunshine State everywhere it went.
The airline was involved in a notable crash when one of its Boeing 737 aircraft departed from Washington, D.C. in icy conditions, crashed on the city's 14th Street Bridge, and landed in the Potomac River. Two years later, in 1984, the airline went under and the Air Florida name vanished from the sky.
People Express
A child of deregulation, People Express began its life in Newark, New Jersey in 1981 as a low-cost airline, according to the Los Angeles Times. The airline started small, flying high-demand routes with little competition and offering unbundled fares so passengers could save money by cutting out extras.
While successful at first, People Express decided it wanted to compete in bigger markets and soon found itself at the mercy of airline giants such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, the Times continued. Not even sub-$300 fares to Europe on a newly purchased 747 was enough to save the airline, and it eventually merged into Continental Airlines in 1987.
A reboot of the airline was attempted in the mid-2010s and began offering services from Norfolk International Airport to cities such as Newark, but ultimately failed.
US Airways
Another airline that can trace its history back to flying mail, the first iteration of what later became US Airways was started in 1939 in Pennsylvania, according to Mashable.
The legacy of the now-merged airline still carries on today. Numerous names for the airline including Allegheny Airlines and All American Airways existed before the US Airways name was settled upon.
By the early 2000s, US Airways had grown into a nationwide carrier thanks to various mergers and acquisitions over the years, one of the most notable with Phoenix-based America West Airlines. The merger gave US Airways a foothold in the Southwestern US, with a new hub in Phoenix, and more brand awareness on the West Coast and in Hawaii.
The airline would join forces with legacy carrier American Airlines in 2015, which had been under bankruptcy protection, to form the world's largest airline at the time. Though both featuring a patriotic name, American Airlines were determined to have the most recognizable brand and the two moved forward under the American Airlines banner.
The combined airline has hubs across the US in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Charlotte, Washington, Miami, Dallas, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
America West Airlines
America West Airlines was formed following the deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s, launching operations in 1983, according to USA Today. As its name would suggest, America West was an airline for the American Southwest, maintaining bases in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The airline had very little East Coast presence beyond flights from its southwestern hubs. A failed attempt at expansion saw the airline's hub expansion in Columbus, Ohio fail, according to USA Today, and America West retreated back across the Rockies.
America West was one of the few domestic startups to operate the Boeing 747, which it used on a variety of routes from Phoenix, Honolulu, and Las Vegas. One of the airline's more unusual routes connected Phoenix and Nagoya, Japan, the first and last nonstop connection between Arizona's capital and a city in Asia.
In 2005, America West merged with US Airways, creating a true nationwide airline with hubs throughout the country.
Continental Airlines
Starting out as a small Southwestern US operation, Continental Airlines grew to be a household brand that largely survived the test of time. Its first route saw the airline flying mail and passengers between Texas and Colorado, according to Boeing, two states that would play large roles in Continental's success.
After World War 2, a series of mergers and partnerships allowed the airline to expand its route network and acquire new aircraft, according to Boeing. The airline quickly expanded beyond the Southwest into routes across the country and eventually into Europe, Asia, and the South-Pacific.
Airline deregulation would see the airline struggle but ultimately bounce back better than ever. Continental grew as a result of numerous mergers and airline acquisitions, expanding into Central America from Houston.
A focus on customer satisfaction following a second bout of bankruptcy saw increased onboard amenities. Commercials about the airline frequently promoted its unique amenities such as hot meals in economy class and in-flight entertainment, rarities for domestic flights in the early 2000s.
The Continental name would fall prey to United Airlines in 2012 when the two merged and the decision was made to adopt United's name. Continental's branding and logo, however, would stay until 2019 when United introduced a new livery based on it aimed at a unified company identity post-merger.
Eastern Air Lines
What would be one of the oldest airlines in the US if it were still in still in operation today, the first iteration of Eastern Air Lines started in 1927, according to airline historians The Silverliners. True to its name, Eastern Air Lines got its start by flying up and down the East Coast, largely offering flights to sunny destinations in Florida.
Famed aviator Eddie Rickenbacker was at the helm of the airline, first serving as general manager and then acquiring the airline shortly before World War 2, according to The Silverliners. Serving the East Coast and connecting vacation destinations continued to be the airline's main bread and butter.
With little desire for European service, the airline largely stayed in the Western Hemisphere. One of the airline's main achievements was the Northeast Shuttle system, ferrying passengers on hourly flights between New York, Washington, and Boston, a legacy carried on by airlines today.
Despite being a household name, Eastern Air Lines was pressured by union labor disputes and floundered in debt, selling itself and all assets in parts and ceasing operations in 1991
A second reboot of the airline started in 2015 and is currently operating flights between New York and South America. Though with a different logo, the aircraft wear the famous Eastern Air Lines livery.
Trans World Airlines
Another mail carrier turned airline, Trans World Airlines' history dates back to pre-World War 2, the early days of American aviation, according to USA Today.
Soon after its inception in 1930 as Transcontinental & Western Air, eccentric aviation entrepreneur Howard Hughes took the helm, acquiring new aircraft such as the Lockheed Constellation that would go up against Pan American World Airways.
The two airlines went head to head as global airlines representing America. Hughes rebranded the airline to Trans World Airlines to reflect its newfound global status. Domestically, the airline focused on strategic hubs across the US including on the coasts with mid-country hubs in Kansas City and St Louis to facilitate connections.
Though it was on track to be a successful airline, deregulation made it a target and poor management led to a decline, according to USA Today.
American Airlines would later acquire the airline, with its name vanishing from the skies shortly following the turn of the century. It had outlasted its rival Pan Am, but not by long.
The legacy of the airline still lives on today at New York's JFK Airport where a development firm has rebuilt TWA's iconic terminal first designed by Eero Saarinen and transformed it into a hotel. The only on-airport hotel at JFK, the TWA Hotel features include a rooftop pool and observation deck, 1960s-themed interiors, and a Lockheed Constellation aircraft that's been turned into a lounge.
Pan American World Airways
When most people think of the golden age of aviation, Pan American World Airways is the airline that frequently comes to mind. The airline under the helm of CEO Juan Trippe was a leader in exporting America to the world with its iconic brand and style that dominated the aviation industry in locations near and far.
The airline started its life in Key West, Florida, flying between Florida and Cuba, and quickly expanded. Following World War 2, the airline quickly became widely-known for the domestic and international services it offered.
A true pioneer, Pan Am was the first operator of innovative jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Boeing 747, flying the first flights for each aircraft. Its name not only graced the sides of massive airliners, but also New York City skyscrapers such as the Pan Am Building, now the MetLife Building, that acted as its headquarters.
For all of its glamour, the airline began to struggle with profitability and was forced to sell assets, including its once-famed Pacific network, the Daily Mail reported. The airline was involved in a high-profile terrorist attack in which one of its Boeing 747 aircraft was brought down by an explosive device, damaging the airline's image.
The airline came to an end in 1991, according to the Pan Am Historical Foundation, ending a glorious chapter for American aviation. Since its closure, companies have tried to bring back the Pan Am name in an attempt to revive the iconic brand, but all have done so unsuccessfully.