Western Airlines
IATA WA	ICAO WAL	Callsign Western
Founded		1925
Commenced operations		April 1926
Ceased operations		September 9, 1986
Hubs		Los Angeles International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport Stapleton International Airport (Denver)
Fleet size
Destinations
Headquarters		Los Angeles, California
Key people

This article is about the original Western Airlines. This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) An airline hub is an Airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public Airport in Utah. Stapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado 's primary Airport from 1929 to 1995 Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West See Western (airline) for information on an unrelated airline started in 2006. This article is about the the airline that operated for a short time in 2007

A new restoration of a Convair 240 sports a Western Airlines paint scheme. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Western Airlines (IATA: WA, ICAO: WAL, and Callsign: Western) was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver. This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost An airline hub is an Airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public Airport in Utah. Stapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado 's primary Airport from 1929 to 1995 The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States

History

Western Air Express

In 1925, the United States Postal Service began to give airlines contracts to carry air mail all around the country. The company first incorporated in 1925 as Western Air Express by Harris Hanshue. It applied for, and was awarded, the 650-mile long Contract Air Mail Route #4 (CAM-4) from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West In April 1926, Western's first flight took place with a Douglas M-2 airplane. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout It began offering passenger services a month later, when The first commercial passenger flight took place at Woodward Field. Ben F. Redman (then president of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce) and J. A. Tomlinson perched atop U. S. mail sacks and flew with pilot C. N. "Jimmy" James on his regular eight-hour mail delivery flight to Los Angeles. This was the first regularly scheduled passenger airline service in U. S. History.

Transcontinental & Western Airlines

The company reincorporated in 1928 as Western Air Express Corp. Then, in 1930, purchased Standard Airlines, subsidiary of Aero Corp. of Ca. founded in 1926 by Paul E. Richter, Jack Frye and Walter Hamilton. Paul E Richter, 1896 to 1949 Aviation pioneer co-founder of TWA. WAE with Fokker aircraft merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to form TWA. Fokker was a Dutch Aircraft manufacturer named after its founder Anthony Fokker. Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U

General Air Lines

In 1934, Western Air Express broke off from TWA and briefly changed its name to General Air Lines, returning to the name Western Air Express after several months.

Western Airlines

In 1941 Western Air Express changed its name to Western Air Lines, which was later altered to Western Airlines.

After World War II, Western expanded into a large regional airline, introducing service on the Lockheed Constellation, Douglas DC-6, and Lockheed Electra. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Regional airlines commonly called commuter airlines or feeder airlines, when they provide service to smaller communities that do not generate sufficient passengers WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout It merged in 1967 with Pacific Northern Airlines and in the late 60s pushed for an all-jet fleet, adding Boeing 707s, 727s and 737s to its fleet of Boeing 720s. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In 1973, Western added McDonnell Douglas DC-10s to its fleet, marketing their wide-body cabins as "Spaceships". wide-body aircraft is a large Airliner with twin aisles and typically a fuselage diameter of 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft An aircraft cabin is the section of an Aircraft in which passengers travel often just called the cabin

Western was headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Its major hubs were at LAX and Salt Lake City, Utah. Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U Prior to airline deregulation, it had smaller hubs in Las Vegas, Nevada and Denver-Stapleton. Airline deregulation is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting in particular the carriers permitted to serve specific routes Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States ^[1]

At its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, Western flew to many cities across the Western United States, and to various destinations in Mexico (Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Mazatlan), Alaska (Anchorage and Fairbanks), Hawaii (Honolulu, Maui and Kona), and Canada (Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton). The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Puerto Vallarta (English Vallarta Port is a Mexican resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas. Acapulco (Officially Acapulco de Juárez) is a City and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast Ixtapa redirect here See also Ixtapa Chiapas. Zihuatanejo ( is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Ixtapa redirect here See also Ixtapa Chiapas. Zihuatanejo ( is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Mazatlán ( IPA: zat ˈlan is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding Municipio (municipality for which Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U The Island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. Western also maintained a large intra-state route structure within its home state of California as well, competing vigorously with PSA and AirCal. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Southwest Airlines was an Airline headquartered in San Diego California. Air California, later AirCal, was a Regional airline serving different points in the state of California and some neighboring western

In 1981, Western Airlines began international flights from Anchorage and Denver to London Gatwick Airport with DC-10 aircraft. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. As it extended its network to airports on the East Coast like Washington-Dulles, Newark International Airport and Boston-Logan, Western Airlines became a prominent sponsor of the Bob Barker television show The Price is Right, to try to make customers from the East more aware of its presence. Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Newark Liberty International Airport, first named Newark Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international Airport within the Robert William Barker (Born December 12 1923) is a nineteen-time Emmy Award -winning former American Television Game show Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Widely Known Facts The Price Is Right is an American Television Game show that is currently owned by the FremantleMedia The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U In the late 1970s, Western Airlines and Continental Airlines had merger discussions, but no definitive merger agreement was ever reached. Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier.

Delta Air Lines

In the early 1980s, Air Florida tried to buy Western Airlines, but it was able to purchase only 16 percent of the airline's stock. This article discusses the 1971-1984 airline For the current carrier see Air Florida Airlines. Finally, on 9 September 1986 Western Airlines was purchased by Delta Air Lines, and was fully merged into that airline on 1 April 1987. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) After the merger, Delta eventually released the name Western Airlines. Delta has maintained Western's former Salt Lake City hub, and uses the Los Angeles International Airport as a major gateway to Mexico's many vacation hot spots.

Incidents and accidents

• Jan 12, 1937, Western Air Express Boeing 247 Flight from Salt Lake City to Burbank crashed near Newhall, California, killing Martin Johnson of Martin and Osa Johnson. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Martin Johnson ( October 9 1884 &ndash January 13 1937) and his wife Osa Johnson ( Née Leighty March 14
• On the night of 20 April 1953, Western Air Lines Flight 636, flying the last leg of a Los Angeles-San Francisco-Oakland itinerary, descended below the prescribed minimum altitude of 500 feet and crashed into the waters of San Francisco Bay, killing eight of the ten people on board the Douglas DC-6 airliner. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
• On 31 October 1979, Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashed while landing at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, killing 72. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) On October 31, 1979, Western Airlines Flight 2605, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 -10 flying from Los Angeles to Mexico City Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México or AICM also called Benito Juárez International Airport is a commercial airport that Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico ^[2] The crew of the DC-10 had landed on the wrong runway and the jetliner impacted construction vehicles that were on the closed runway.

Advertising

Western can also be noted for contributing to popular culture with its 1960s advertising slogan, "It's the oooooonly way to fly!" Spoken by the Wally Bird, an animated bird hitching a ride aboard the fuselage of a Western airliner, and voiced by veteran actor Shepard Menken, the phrase soon found its way into animated cartoons by Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera. Shepard Menken ( November 2, 1921 &ndash January 2, 1999) was an American Voice actor and Character actor Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Another famous advertising campaign by the airline centered on Star Trek icons William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931) is an American Actor, Film director, Poet, Musician and

During the 1970s, they promoted themselves as "the champagne airline" because champagne was offered free of charge to every adult passenger over 21 years old. (As an aside, Jim Backus uttered this phrase while piloting an airplane somewhat inebriated in the movie "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". )

Western Airlines was also famous for its "Flying W" corporate identity and aircraft livery. Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an Aircraft, generally to Fuselage, Wings Tailfin or Jet engines Introduced in the mid-1970s, the unique color scheme featured a large red stylized "W" which fused into a red cheatline running the length of an all-white fuselage. This new corporate identity was the subject of litigation by Winnebago Industries, which contended the new "Flying W" was too similar to its own stylized "W" logo. Winnebago Industries Inc ( is a manufacturer of Motor homes, a type of Recreational vehicle or RV, in the United States. In its final years, Western Airlines slightly modified its corporate identity by stripping the white fuselage to bare metal, while retaining the red "Flying W" (albeit with a dark blue shadow). This color scheme was also affectionately known as "Bud Lite" due to its resemblance to a popular beer's can design.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Historical timetables and route maps
• Historical timetable covers
• Salt Lake City International Airport
• Early Aviators
• "Right in the Middle of it All" History of the region
• History of Western Airlines and the planes it operated - archive. org copy of now-defunct page