When did American Airlines start?
American Airlines is one of the largest air carrier in the world today, with passenger traffic of over 200 million per year. But when did this aviation giant begin its journey? The history of American Airlines can be traced back to the 1920s and 1930s, though little is known about the company during that period.
The background of American Airlines can be, in fact, linked to a small airline company named Colonial Air Transport. Colonial was initiated in 1925 and it was a company that provided service between New York and Boston. It was established by a group of mechanically inclined individuals and financiers who saw the potential of air transport in becoming an essential means of transport in the United States of America in the future.
In 1930, Colonial Air Transport joined with another small company called as Universal Aviation. Upon merger of the two airlines, the new airline was called the Aviation Corporation. Specifically, Aviation Corporation continued to offer the New York-Boston route and later introduced Montreal, Canada, as new destinations.
Thus, the actual American Airlines that started operating was created in 1934. This consolidation process led to the formation of a holding company known as American Airways that comprised more than eighty small carriers throughout the country. Cyrus Rowlett Smith became the leader of American Airways, and he was also an experienced executive popular as C. R. Smith.
The first major brand element of the future American Airlines was also created in 1934 The advertisement slogan ‘The wings of the world, your wings’ is considered the first major brand element of the future American Airlines, which was initiated in the same year. Formerly known as American Air Lines, the company is now known as American Airways after it purchased the assets of the former. AMERICAN Airlines had served passenger and mail service routes, with its base primarily in the American Southwest area. As a result of the acquisition, the company adopted the name American Air Lines for its national transportation network, along with the company’s famous eagle symbol.
Over the next few years, American Airways expanded by buying and merging regional carriers, which formed part of the American Air Lines group. In the year 2000, America had a route network that covered all the length and breath of the United States of America. In 1934, American Airways decided to shift from their original name and started operating under the name of American Airlines.
The period of 1930 could be described as the year of the largest breakthrough and development in the sphere of airlines. Indeed, many significant aviation innovations during this decade were initiated by American Airlines under C. R. Smith's leadership. This included the first modern airliner, the Douglas DC-3, which was developed in the year 1936. The DC-3 was one of the most iconic airplanes in history. It was equipped with twin engines and an all-metal body, and it offered comfort, speed, and most importantly, reliability when traveling.
Concerning the innovative feature of the DC-3's wing design, it is worth noting that American Airlines was the first to order this model. In most planes, wings were added on or constructed simply by bolting wings onto the body of the plane. The aircraft had only one wing, formed from a single structure that ran through the fuselage without any breakage. This enhanced the efficiency and helped American provide sleeper cabins on the DC-3 airplane.
Interestingly, American Airlines came up with the idea of an airline lounge for the first time in 1939 at New York's LaGuardia Airport. It also came up with the first non-stop transcontinental service from New York to Los Angeles in the same year.
This network reached approximately 100 cities across more than 30,000 miles by 1940. It had become a major line of transportation in the country, as well as the transportation of passengers, goods, and post across the United States. When the US entered World War II in 1941, Davis Monthan contributed more than half of its aircraft to the Air Transport Command for the war.
From 1942 up to 1945, American Airlines underwent tremendous growth in spite of the fact that it provided planes and manpower to enhance the military prowess of the United States. It rapidly expanded its technical department and offered strong support for innovation. A notable innovation during this period was the launch of one of the earliest airline reservation systems by American Airlines.
Thus, American Airlines had an opportunity to buy new-age planes starting in 1945, including the Convair 240, Douglas DC-6, and Lockheed Constellations with pressurized cabins. These more advanced planes provided comfort, which in turn enabled American Airlines to provide coast-to-coast service across the United States. The international connectivity time decreased from more than 12 hours, as it was the case a couple of years ago, to 6 hours of flying time provided by American’s network.
By the year 1950, American Airlines used to have its flights operating at more than sixty airports in the United States and some international destinations in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. This airline introduced many of the key advancements in airline service, including sleeper sections, airline clubs, timetables, and reservation systems, during its initial two decades. In the next few decades, American Airlines will still consolidate its global presence and link up with other major airlines, such as TWA.
Starting with American Airways in 1930, American Airlines today is the culmination of many mergers and acquisitions, and American Airways can be credited with the formation of the carrier in 1934 after the acquisition of this small carrier. Since its establishment, American Airlines has been an essential and revolutionary participant in the development of the commercial aviation industry and the American mass transportation system for over ninety years and continues to do so. American’s tale, however, is one of unrelenting expansion, groundbreaking advancements, and relentless efforts towards making the travel experience of passengers around the globe more memorable.
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