Pan American World Airways

Pan American World Airways
Founded	March 14, 1927 (as Pan American Airways [PAA])
Commenced operations	October 19, 1927
Ceased operations	December 4, 1991
Hubs	Frankfurt Airport; John F. Kennedy International Airport; (New York City); Heathrow Airport; (London); Miami International Airport; Haneda Airport (before 1978); (Tokyo); Narita International Airport (1978–1985); (Tokyo);
Focus cities	Berlin Tempelhof Airport (1950–1975); Berlin Tegel Airport (1975–1990); Honolulu International Airport (before 1985); George Bush Intercontinental Airport; (Houston); Logan International Airport; (Boston); Los Angeles International Airport; O'Hare International Airport; (Chicago); San Francisco International Airport; Washington Dulles International Airport;
Frequent-flyer program	WorldPass
Subsidiaries	Sahsa (40%) (1945-1970) ; Pan Am Express (1987–1991) ; Panagra (50%) (1928-1967)
Fleet size	226
Destinations	86 countries on all six major continents at its peak in 1968
Company slogan	"The System of the Flying Clippers" (1946–1953); "World's Most Experienced Airline" (1953–early 1970s); "Pan Am makes the going great" (late 1960s/early 1970s); "Experience makes the difference" (early 1970s); "America's airline to the world" (late 1970s); "You can't beat the experience" (1980s); "Die Flügel Berlins" (German for "Berlin's wings", 1980s, only in Germany); "Every country has an airline. The World has Pan Am." (late 1980s) ; "Expect More From Pan Am" (Some TV ads) ; "Say Hello To Pan Am" (Pan Am-National merger)
Parent company	Pan Am Corporation
Headquarters	New York City; Miami, Florida
Key people	Juan T. Trippe; (CEO, 1927–1968); Harold E. Gray; (CEO, 1968–1969); Najeeb E. Halaby Jr; (CEO, 1969–1971); William T. Seawell; (CEO, 1971–1981); C. Edward Acker; (CEO, 1981–1988); Thomas G. Plaskett; (CEO, 1988–1991); Russell L. Ray, Jr.; (CEO, 1991)
Website	www.panam.org

Pan American World Airways, or Pan Am, was once the largest airline of the USA. The crash of Pan Am Flight 103 and several other factors led to the airline to stop flying in 1991.^[1]

A Pan American Boeing 737

Martin 130 NC14716 "China Clipper" in California in 1936

History

Pan Am was founded in 1926.^[2] Its first flights were from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba. During the 1920s and 1930s, Pan Am bought several smaller airlines in Central America and South America. These were bought to help Pan Am expand its flights throughout The Americas.^[3] Pan Am became the first airline to circumnavigate the world in 1942. By the 1950s, Pan Am had several larger airplanes like the Boeing 377, Douglas DC-6 and the Lockheed Constellation.^[4] It went to cities all across the world. In 1959, Pan Am bought its first jet - the Boeing 707. In 1970, Pan Am introduced its first widebody jet - the Boeing 747.^[5]

A Boeing 314 Clipper

In 1980, Pan Am was combined with National Airlines. This was because Pan Am wanted to fly domestic flights and the government didn't allow it. When Pan Am bought National, it could finally fly domestically.^[6] In the 1980s, Pan Am started having many financial problems, having paid too much to buy National Airlines.^[7] Pan Am also spent too much money on the new Boeing 747s. The Gulf War of 1990 also caused many problems with Pan Am's transatlantic flights.^[8] Pan Am declared bankruptcy in January 1991. Delta Air Lines bought small parts of Pan Am and tried to help it.^[9] However, on December 4, 1991 Pan Am stopped flying due to the big financial problems.^[10] United Airlines got many of Pan Am's old flights.^[11] American Airlines got Pan Am's Miami hub.^[12] Pan Am was resurrected twice in 1996 and 1998.^[13]

Pan American World Airways Media

Flown cover autographed by pilot Cy Caldwell and carried from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, on the first contract airmail flight operated by Pan American Airways, October 19, 1927
"Birthplace of Pan American World Airways", Key West, Florida
Tourists with a Consolidated Commodore flying boat, used to fly routes in the Caribbean in the 1930s.
1936 Pan American Airways Route Map
1941 advertising mailer for Pan Am's "Flying Clipper Cruises" to South America
PAA's China Clipper service cut the time of a transpacific crossing from as much as six weeks by sea to just six days by air.
Stamps issued by the United States and Philippine Islands for Air Mail carried on the first flights in each direction of PAA's Transpacific "China Clipper" service between San Francisco, California, and Manila, Philippines. (November 22 – December 6, 1935)
Flown cover carried around the world on PAA Boeing 314 Clippers and by Imperial Airways, June 24 – July 28, 1939
Pan Am's flying boat terminal at Dinner Key in Miami, Florida, was a hub of inter-American travel during the 1930s and 1940s.
Pan Am Lockheed L-049 Constellation Clipper Great Republic at London Heathrow