Gone But Not Forgotten: 14 Old Airlines Of The US

The date of Jan. 1, 1914, marked the world's first passenger airline service, endeavored by the aptly named “The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line,” which flew from St. Petersburg, Florida and landed in nearby Tampa.

The trailblazing company was operational for just four months, from January 1914 to May that same year, but it set the stage for what would inevitably become thousands of daily transcontinental flights.

Since The St Petersburg-Tampa Line, the U.S. has been host to hundreds of airlines, of which most have been acquired or gone defunct.

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We’ve gathered a list of airlines that were once prominent names in the sky, of which are gone now but not forgotten.

Mohawk Airlines 1945-1972

• Why it died: Labor issues and strikes forced a merger with Allegheny Airlines.
• Fact: Hired the first African-American flight attendant in the U.S.

Allegheny Airlines 1953-1979

• Why it died: Rebranded as USAir, and eventually US Airways.
• Fact: Founded by the du Pont brothers Richard and Alexis as an airmail service in 1939.

Aloha Airlines 1946-2008

• Why it died: Chapter 11 bankruptcy
• Fact: Trip 243 was a regularly scheduled Boeing 737-297 flight from Hilo to Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1988, the plane was severely damaged after an explosive decompression in flight, but it landed safely at Maui's Kahului Airport. Despite such a significant loss of integrity, the aircraft's successful landing was unprecedented and remains so today.

Capital Airlines 1941-1961

• Why it died: Merged with United Airlines.
• Fact: Host of the world’s first TV in-flight.

Frontier Airlines 1950-1986

• Why it died: Bankruptcy, though the company reopened as the current Frontier Airlines in 1994.
• Fact: Frontier hired the first female pilot.

Trump Shuttle 1989-1992

• Why it died: Defaulted on debt.
• Fact: The planes featured chrome seatbelt latches and solid-gold bathroom fixtures.

Muse Air 1981-1987

• Why it died: Liquidated by Southwest Airlines in 1985.
• Fact: Prohibited in-flight smoking long before it was federally banned.

Ozark Airlines 1950-1986

• Why it died: Merged with TWA.
• Fact: Comedian George Carlin was a spokesperson for Ozark.

Pan American World Airways (Pan-Am) 1927-1991

• Why it died: Bankruptcy
• Fact: During the 1970s, two Pan Am flights operated around the world to set or break previous around-the-world flying records.

Tower Air 1983-2000

• Why it died: Bankruptcy
• Fact: Featured in Hollywood films such as “Liar Liar” and “Turbulence.”

Eastern Airlines 1926-1991

• Why it died: Bankruptcy
• Fact: The company re-emerged in 2010 under the name Dynamic Airways.

ValueJet 1993-1997

• Why it died: A fire in 1996 was caused by the activation of chemical oxygen generators stored in the cargo hold. The fire damaged the plane’s electrical system and eventually overcame the crew, resulting in the deaths of 110 people.
• Fact: The company took a reverse merger with AirWays Corp after the tragic 1996 accident.

Continental Airlines 1934-2012

• Why it died: Merged with United Airlines.
• Fact: At the height of its business, it operated more than 2,400 flights per day.

Western Airlines 1926-1986

• Why it died: Merged with DeltaAir.
• Fact: Champagne was offered for free for those of legal drinking age.

Photo: FSLL2 via Flickr Creative Commons