Our Throwback Thursday series revisits many legacy airlines of the past, along with some that weren’t so well known. Join our writers each week as they look back on these airlines by saving this link.
Throwback Thursday
While major airlines are constantly announcing routes between major cities, its easy for the smaller cities in the United States to get forgotten. Some airlines, however, make small cities their business, especially with the Essential
Throwback Thursday
North Central Airlines was founded in 1939 as the aviation arm of the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company. Based in Clintonville, Wisconsin, the airline started by using a small Waco biplane for company use. In
Throwback Thursday
Launched in 1977, Air Tungaru was the first airline of Kiribati, and also the nation’s flag carrier. Over the course of their history, the carrier served approximately 20 destinations, including all 16 domestic airports in
Throwback Thursday
With Pittsburgh International Airport growing in size with the completion of a new terminal in 1992, it was an opportune time for new carriers to attempt to dislodge the hub presence that US Airways had
Throwback Thursday
The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, is midway between England and Northern Ireland. Traditionally, all travel to and from the island has been via boat as over the years, airlines based on
Throwback Thursday
Founded in 1946 by Captain Shin Yong-Wook, South Korean carrier Korean National Airlines, or KNA, was formed as a commercial passenger and air cargo airline. Instead of its longer full name, the carrier operated under the
Throwback Thursday
With the rise of low-cost carriers in Europe throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, the idea of cheaper travel was catching, with airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair seeing massive expansion. Motived by the success
Throwback Thursday
In 2003, SWISS decided to terminate its route between Geneva and Lugano. In response, businessman Julian Cook decided to begin an airline to operate the route. The airline would be called Baboo, which began its
Throwback Thursday
With many airlines restructuring in the early 2000s, major U.S. carriers were brought into difficult times. New airlines saw this as a way to cash in on the possibility of winning over business passengers who
Throwback Thursday
Trans-Colorado Airlines was founded in August 1980 in the quiet mountain town of Gunnison, Colo. In its infancy, flights were operated to Denver’s Stapleton Airport using a single Swearingen Metro II turboprop aircraft. The airline
Throwback Thursday
In June 1977, Scottish carrier Air Ecosse took to the skies on its inaugural flight from Aberdeen to Wick, Scotland. The subsidiary of parent company Fairflight Charters, the airline operated both scheduled passenger flights and
Throwback Thursday
Trans World Connection was originally a small regional and commuter airline that operated on behalf of Trans World Airlines in the 1990s. The airline used a small fleet of Saab 340s, Jetstream 41s, and ATR
Throwback Thursday
Austrian low-cost airline Niki is one of the most recent casualties of the aviation industry, shutting down operations less than a month ago. Unfortunately, the airline was caught up in the collapse of German carrier
Throwback Thursday
When the Chinese manufactured goods market booming in the early 2000s, airlines and investors were looking for ways to get involved in the trade of Chinese exports and invested heavily in creating cargo carriers. Here
Throwback Thursday
Impulse Airlines was founded in 1992 by Sue and Gerry McGowan. Operations began later that year as a regional carrier based in Newcastle, New South Wales. The airline operated regional routes within New South Wales
Throwback Thursday
The 1960s saw the success of various domestic airlines in Mexico. With numerous successes among airlines taking hold in the country, new airlines started to look for cities to make their name outside of Mexico
Throwback Thursday
During the 1970s and 80s, the regional airline market was filled with airlines named after their respective states. These included large, successful airlines, such as Air California, as well as many smaller airlines, such as
Throwback Thursday
As the 1980s rolled around, the Colombian market was cluttered with various smaller carriers hoping to dethrone the national flag carrier, Avianca. One of those airlines was the small domestic carrier, Aerovias de Integracion Regional
Throwback Thursday
After the end of World War Two, Germany was divided in two. West Germany was left to the Americans, French, and British, while East Germany was a part of the Soviet Union. Initially, air service
Throwback Thursday
In the 1920s with the expansion of the commercial aviation industry, more and more airlines began to arise. The South American country of Bolivia saw its first commercial carrier start service in 1925. The new carrier,
