Older airlines: 15 that do not exist anymore

The brutal collapse of the northern low-cost airline Primera Air, which was blocking travelers on both sides of the Atlantic after the end of flights on October 2, is a new victim of the industry notoriously unstable.

Some closures are more memorable than others, such as the fall of Pan Am and the recent purchase of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines, but each of these 15 companies has managed to impress the industry and its passengers before launching their last flights .

US Airways

Founded in 1937 under the name of "All American Aviation", the airline changed its name to "Allegheny Airlines" in 1953, to become "USAir" in 1979, when it was ranked among the largest companies of the world, and finally for "US Airways" in 1997.

As US Airways, the carrier operated an extensive national and international network from its airports at Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington DC-National, and acquired Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), Piedmont Airlines, as well as the failure of the Trump Shuttle.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River as a result of an engine failure caused by several bird strikes. All passengers and crew members survived the event, now called the "Hudson's Miracle".

US Airways merged with American Airlines in 2013 to form the world's largest airline. The last flight of the US Airways brand landed in April 2015.

Continental

Continental's long history began in 1937 when "Varney Speed ​​Lines" changed its name and refocused from airmail to passenger transport.

The airline has been at the origin of many historical "firsts", such as the hiring of the first African American pilot at the service of a large American carrier (1963), the inauguration first regular lines of jets linking Pacific islands (1968), the first unconventional flight. – stop over 16 hours (Newark to Hong Kong, 2001) and offer online assistance 24 hours a day (2009).

Headquartered in Houston and with other hubs in Cleveland, Newark and Guam, Continental flew until it merged with United Airlines in 2012.

Midwest Airlines

This airline, founded in 1984 and serving mainly the country through its hubs of Milwaukee and Kansas City, ceased to exist at the end of 2010 by merging with Frontier Airlines.

Between the 1990s and the early 2000s, the Midwest distinguished itself from its competitors by offering free and generous hot meals when other airlines reduced services.

The famous Midwest Chocolate Chip Cookies, baked and served on each flight, survived the Midwest mark and continued on Frontier flights until the airline stopped serving cookies. in 2012.

ATA Airlines

Originally launched as a charter company in 1973, ATA began operations in 1986 with scheduled flights from the Midwest to Florida, serving holiday itineraries that would eventually become the airline's specialty despite a brief experience international flights.

The Indianapolis and Chicago-Midway airports served as ATA hubs. Following the economic repercussions of September 11, 2001, the airline suffered a financial setback after the retreat, until the declaration of bankruptcy and the cessation of its activities on April 2, 2008, the flights still being in the air .

During the bankruptcy, Southwest Airlines recovered the ATA brand, its access to LaGuardia Airport and the $ 7.5 million operating certificate.

TWA

Remnants of the glory of Trans World Airlines are still at JFK Airport in New York, the company's transatlantic hub, where passengers departed and arrived through the terminal "TWA Flight Center" designed by Eero Saarinen.

Aloha Airlines

The end of the Second World War and the purchase of a surplus military aircraft led to the creation in 1946 of Aloha Airlines, which operated flights between the American continent and Hawaii, as well as to Other Pacific Islands.

Aloha was the main competitor of Hawaiian Airlines, but it was a tariff war with the now-defunct airline, "hop!" Aloha was declared bankrupt and ceased operations in 2008.

Kingfisher Airlines

Travelers to India may be familiar with the Kingfisher beer brand, but the name (and the parent beer company) has also entered the airline industry. Kingfisher Airlines began flying to India in 2005.

Its international service to London included a first class bar, upscale entertainment systems and life-size pillows, even in an economic environment.

Kingfisher was repeatedly threatened with heavy financial losses, before the airline was forced to cease operations in 2012, when India suspended its license and froze its accounts for non-payment of taxes.

Eos Airlines

Eos Airlines, which only existed between 2004 and 2008, was a business-class airline carrying 48-seat Boeing 757s between New York-JFK and Stansted Airport in London.

It was a fashion leader, announcing the large number of high-end transatlantic airlines that also emerged in the mid-2000s, such as the Airplane, MAXJet and Silverjet. Before Eos can realize its plans for the expansion of business class flights to other destinations in the United States, Europe and even South America, the airline s & # 39; Is suddenly collapsed into bankruptcy.

Primera Air

Primera may have made headlines today for its spectacular failure and inability to freeze thousands of passengers (and even its own crew) after it ceased operations this month without warning, but this company exists since 2003 and had already completed its charter activities. rotated to very low cost scheduled flights mainly on European holiday routes.

Primera's attempt to offer transatlantic long-haul flights between the United States and Europe then literally took off in April 2018, only to last a few months before any operation took place. collapse on October 2, 2018.

Monarch Airlines

Primera is not the only airline to go bankrupt and block travelers away from home; the airline failed on the first anniversary of the demise of Monarch Airlines on October 2, 2017.

The low-cost British airline, established in 1967, has made holidaymakers travel to the high places of tourism in Europe and Israel.

Financial difficulties drove Monarch to desperately seek financing and, despite Boeing's investment in 2016, the airline blocked and blocked approximately 110,000 passengers who were then repatriated to other airlines. in the course of an operation costing £ 60 million ($ 78 million).

Air Berlin

Founded by the Americans in 1978, Air Berlin initially operated charter flights from West Berlin to holiday destinations in the Mediterranean. The German reunification saw the airline grow rapidly and Air Berlin became one of the largest European carriers.

Future plans and expansion were based on the possible establishment of the new Brandenburg Airport in Berlin, which was to open in 2011, but was suffering from significant delays and should not be opened until 2020.

Air Berlin reduced its operations for several years and, with sustained financial losses, finally made its last flight in October 2017. Almost immediately, Lufthansa bought 81 of its aircraft and employed more than 3,000 former Air employees. Berlin. a smaller piece of the Air Berlin pie.

Loftleidir

Flying from the United States to Europe with a cheap stopover to Iceland is now commonplace, but the concept was launched as early as the 1940s with Loftleiðir, also known as Icelandic Airlines.

It flourished in the 1960s and received the nickname "Hippie Express" for its popularity among young university students looking for affordable flights over the Atlantic.

In 1973, the airline merged with another Icelandic carrier, Flugfélag Íslands, which resulted in the birth of Icelandair.

Pan Am

Pan Am, which means Pan American World Airways, tells the story of a small airline that jumped from Florida to Cuba in 1927 to become the world's largest airline and an industry innovator. until his disappearance in 1991.

Passing seaplanes to Boeing 747s, the airline opened the way for flights, opened hotels (from the InterContinental hotel chain) and symbolized the mirage of the jet era.

The oil crises, the hijackings and the attacks, as well as other operational difficulties, forced Pan Am to find himself in a difficult financial situation. The carrier ceased operations on December 4, 1991. Delta paid $ 1.39 billion to acquire the assets of Pan Am and to honor the passenger tickets of the bankrupt carrier.

Ted

When a low-cost airline took off literally and figuratively in the United States in the mid-2000s, United felt compelled to try on her own and thus formed Ted. The airline began operating all-economy Airbus A320s in 2004, with a hub at Denver International Airport.

In-flight entertainment on Ted flights was limited to "Tedevision" and "TedTunes", and the airline sold teddy bears on board. Ted's main competitors were Song, a similar low-cost experience of Frontier Airlines and Delta, which lasted until 2009, when the business was down in United.

Virgin America

Recognized for its colorful cabin lighting, original personality and desire to provide an elegant option for air travel in the United States, Virgin America has seduced aviators and captured air awards during its decade.

Although Virgin group leader Richard Branson was only a minority group, his stunts, combined with innovative marketing approaches, often made headlines, such as when Branson hit the headlines and surfed the news. the crowd at a rally in Dallas. fly from the city's love field.

Hearts passed through the country when Alaska Airlines managed to buy the airline and Virgin America's last flight took off on April 24, 2018.

Cynthia Drescher travels more than 200,000 miles a year in search of destination and transportation stories. She regularly dives with sharks and ship wrecks and has visited all seven continents (plus the North Pole).