TWA (Transcontinental & Western Air)

  16 July 1930 to 1 December 2001

  United States of America

TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: TW / TWA

HEADQUARTERS: Kansas City, MO (1934-1961)

FORMER NAME: Transcontinental Air Transport & Western Air Express (merger)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: TWA (Trans World Airlines) (1946-2001), American Airlines (purchased 2001)

TWA resulted in the 1930 merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express.

Howard Hughes acquired control of TWA in 1939, and after World War II led the expansion of the airline to serve Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, making TWA a second unofficial flag carrier of the United States after Pan Am. Hughes gave up control in the 1960's, and TWA attempted to diversify by purchasing Hilton International and Century 21.

TWA did not fare well after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. TWA was spun off from its holding company in 1984, and it was the victim of a leveraged buyout in 1988. Saddled with debt, TWA started selling its most profitable routes. It went bankrupt in 1992, 1995 and 2001. Following this final bankruptcy, it was acquired by American Airlines.

1942

TWA never purchased any Commando for its operation. However, several USAAF Commandos were lent to the airline in 1942 in order to conduct operational prooving flights.

Curtiss C-46-CU Commando: 41-5173