Western Airlines had a long and storied history spanning six decades. Like many early airlines, the carrier was founded with a mail contract and tasked with transporting mail for the government. In the early days of aviation, the U.S. Postal Service helped to provide the founding of numerous airlines. The time and speed saved by air travel made airmail the preferred method of communication in the United States. Western was founded in 1925 as Western Air Express by Harris Hanshue…
A few months after PLUNA’s demise and liquidation, Uruguayan aviation was lacking a flag carrier and, most importantly, a strategy. There were a couple of private operators that jumped right into the extinct carrier's routes. Former Pluna employees were bound to migrate to new companies, but a small group aimed…
Over the years Richard Branson and the Virgin Group have built an empire that spans the globe. Included in his empire has been multiple airlines, including the group's flagship airline Virgin Atlantic. In the early 2000s, the Virgin Group and Richard Branson set its sights on conquering the skies above…
In the controversial 1990s, Argentina's economy experienced a boom, a boom that can be only compared with its catastrophic awakening in the 2000s. We can say the same thing about Southern Winds, an Argentinian carrier that lasted nine years and whose incredible growth was just a buildup for its demise.…
Earlier this week, Nordic low-cost carrier Primera Air ceased operations after ten years of operations. The closure came as a surprise to many as the airline was going through a period of rapid expansion in the transatlantic market, with four route announcements in the last two months of its operation.…
Mohawk Airlines was founded in 1945 as Robinson Aviation. Its founder, C.S. Robinson, was an aerial photographer and conducted the airline's first flight on April 6. The airline was based in Ithaca, New York and started operations with the Fairchild F-24. As the second World War ended, the airline supplemented its…
Founded in 1948 by entrepreneur Carl Brady, Era Aviation began as a for-hire helicopter company based in Alaska. Brady would make most of his early work government related, with mapping projects making up most of his early projects. However, the company would expand over its early years and grow in…
In 1946, Brazilian airline Transportes Aéreos Nacional was created by two former pilots and two shareholders. By 1948, the airline took to the skies for the first time, launching service from its headquarters in Belo Horizonte, Brazil to three initial destinations using its first two DC-3 aircraft. Over the course…
In 1978, Channel Express took to the skies out of Bournemouth Airport in England as Express Air Services. Initially, the carrier focused on service to the Channel Islands off the coast of France and cargo operations in the U.K. and Europe, in addition to charter flights to the Middle East,…
In the 1990s, Richard Branson and the Virgin Group were looking to expand into continental Europe. By this time, Branson’s Virgin Atlantic was a successful competitor to British Airways and the group was looking to expand. In April 1996, the Virgin Group purchased the EuroBelgian Airlines in nearby Belgium. The…
