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Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways[2] and more commonly known as Pan Am, was an airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States for much of the 20th century.
2 days ago · 1 / 2. Now, Pan Am has announced it will be hosting two exclusive 12-day journeys in 2025 to commemorate the airline’s legacy and impact on modern aviation, which will take place with the support of Bartelings and Criterion Travel. Each journey is limited to 50 guests, who can expect to travel in style as Pan Am will be refurbishing a Boeing ...
- International from The Start
- Latin-American Adventures
- Further Expansions
- Rise of The Jumbo
- A Shift in The Market
- All Good Things Come to An End
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Pan Am's story began on March 14th, 1927, when it was founded by US Air Corps majors Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Carl A. Spaatz and John Jouett. The three men were looking to provide a counterbalance to SCATDA, a German-owned Colombian outfit, which went on to become part of Avianca. Before taking people to the skies, Pan Am was in the business of airma...
Even though the three Army officers founded the airline, it was the leadership of entrepreneur Juan Trippe that helped transform it into an aviation powerhouse. Then known as Aviation Corporation of the Americas, it combined with the Grace Shipping Company in 1928 to form Panagra -a shortening of "Pan American-Grace Airways". Over the next few year...
Pan Am soon diverted its attention to Europe. On March 30th, 1939, a Boeing 314 was piloted by Harold E. Gray to perform the carrier's first-ever transatlantic passenger flight. The plane left Baltimore for the Horta in the Azores before performing a second leg to Lisbon. After World War II, the airline officially changed its name to the familiar t...
Soon the increase in demand for longer-distance operations during the 1960s meant that larger aircraft were needed. Trippe initially planned for a double-deck version of the single-aisle 707. However, Boeing managed to swing the direction of the design to give birth to the first-ever widebody in the form of the legendary 747. Its almost vertical si...
This prosperity eventually led to developments that would turn out to be critical for Pan Am. Several firms wanted to get a slice of the aviation market's boom. However, existing laws made it hard for new companies to break into the industry. President Jimmy Carter tackled this issue by introducing the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978. This removed...
Subsequently, Pan Am filed for bankruptcy protection in January 1991. Acquiring Pan Am's transatlantic routes prior to Pan Am's collapse, Delta Air Lines claims that the firm was losing $3 million per day during the latter part of that year. Despite revival attempts, the airline was shut down once and for all on December 4th, with around 7,500 memb...
Learn how Pan Am became a global aviation icon, from its first flight in 1927 to its demise in 1991. Discover the milestones, challenges and legacy of the airline that pioneered airmail, transatlantic and jumbo services.
- Managing Editor
Site of the Pan Am Historical Foundation. Provides a comprehensive airline history, lists of the clippers, image library, and former employee resources, as well as foundation newsletter and related links.
PanAm.org includes Pan Am history articles, Pan Am clipper names, aviation photos, aviation video, Pan Am calendar, membership, and related Pan Am events. Follow @panamhistory on social media and Panam.org on Facebook.
Dec 3, 2021 · It was 30 years ago on December 4, 1991, when Pan Am flew its final flight, after close to 65 years of globe-spanning operations. And yet, although three decades have passed since the airline...
Feb 11, 2024 · Pan Am (full name Pan American World Airways) was once the largest international air carriers that graced the skies. The illustrious airline was America's unofficial overseas flag carrier for much of the 20th century and led many innovations in the aviation industry. But the airline collapsed, and in 1991, Pan Am flew its final flight.
