Throwbacks

Laker Airways was founded in 1966 by Sir Freddie Laker as a way to offer low-fare air service to the United Kingdom. Laker started in London Gatwick with two Bristol Britannia 102 planes from BOAC. The Britannias were quickly phased out in favor of the jet aircraft, as Laker chose the BAC 1-11s to service their […]

In the early 2000s, airlines across the globe faced a challenge from the low cost carriers. In response, many went and created their own low cost airline. Stateside, Delta created Song and United created Ted. Across the pond the situation was no different. Enter British Midland International or more commonly known as BMI. Facing the […]

In 1927, a crucial air mail transport task from Key West to Havana led to the formation of Pan Am. Initially an air mail carrier, the widely known airline grew to become prosperous and successful, allowing for a well-remembered legacy that continues to fly high today. During the early years of their history, the carrier […]

12thLufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH (abbreviated LTU) was founded in 1955 as a way to offer charter and commercial flights from Germany to leisure destinations. The airline started with short flights using Vickers VC-1s that operated around the neighboring countries. The de Havilland DH-104 and Fokker F28 were added to help supply the growing route map. LTU saw rapid […]

At one point in time most states had their own airline. The Sunshine state of Florida was no different. However, unlike airlines in smaller states like Air Illinois or Air Oregon, Air Florida experienced moderate success until a tragic event changed their fortunes. In the 1970s, Miami was developing into a thriving metropolis. The Dolphins […]

In 1944, Gordy Newstrom founded Mesaba Aviation for the purpose of transporting employees of the Blandin Paper Mill Company. It would not be long, however, until the small Minnesota-based company would expand to become a much more significant presence in the airline industry. Purchased by new owners in 1970, the carrier commenced scheduled passenger operations […]

Upon returning from flying lessons in Canada, Icelandic pilot Alfred Eliasson and a few of his fellow training partners decided to start a private airline to compete with the current national carrier, Flugfélag Íslands. Eliasson’s airline, named Loftleiđir, started service between Reykjavik and ĺsafjöđur using a Douglas DC-3 on April 6, 1944. The carrier slowly […]

New York, New York has always been a business center in the United States. This, combined with the need for businessmen to travel to nearby large cities quickly, has created shuttle service along the East Coast. These services are often frequent and provide businessmen the best option to do business. For many years, Eastern Air […]

Southern Airways’ history dates back to 1936, when Frank Hulse and Ike Jones purchased a controlling stake in flight school Southern Airways of Georgia. In 1944, the regional carrier finally received certification to operate as an airline. On June 10, 1949, Southern Airways officially took flight. Deemed to be the “Route of the Aristocrats,” the […]

Following his first retirement from Formula One, Austrian driver Niki Lauda quickly realized his desire to start his own airline. The ex-Ferrari driver had taken up flying during the 1970s and was a pilot of a private jet. Lauda’s passion for flying led him to create Lauda Air in 1979, a charter and air taxi […]