June 2004 - Issue 6
EO Home » Arts & Culture » Articles » Aviation History
Navigate the whole feature below
The History of Commercial Aviation
Aviation Home | Timeline | Planes | Innovators | Companies | Web links
Commercial Aviation Timeline
Pan
Am, the airline which Juan Trippe began in 1927, officially ceases
operations. Pan Am’s name and trademarks would be auctioned off for a little
more than one million dollars. Using its familiar blue and white logo, a new
Pan Am briefly returned to the skies in 1996, but soon went bankrupt.
Guilford Transportation most recently purchased the Pan Am name and offers
limited service primarily on the East Coast.
TWA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Under Carl Icahn’s ownership, the airline would continue to post losses until the airline eventually was acquired by American Airlines in 2001.
McDonnell Douglas introduces the MD-90. An update to its earlier MD-80 series of twinjets, the mid-sized MD-90 would begin commercial passenger service in 1995.
The
Boeing 777 begins commercial service with
United Airlines. The medium-size
twin-jet can accommodate between 305 to 440 passengers. It is Boeing’s first
entirely new plane in more than a decade.
McDonnell Douglas merges with the Boeing Company. Airbus originally had considered acquiring McDonnell Douglas, but Boeing made a quick counteroffer to lock up its only remaining U. S. competitor.
Continental Airlines announces a formal alliance with Northwest Airlines. The agreement aims to help both airlines compete with the three largest U. S. airliners: United, American and Delta.