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 TWA Lockheed Constellation over Manhattan, mid 20th century Trans World Airlines, commonly known as TWA, was an American airline which merged with American Airlines in April 2001. For many years it was headquarterd at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. At the time of its demise, it was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and used the airport nearby, Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport, as its major hub.
The airline was founded 13 July 1925 as Western Air Express. In 1930 it merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to become Transcontinental and Western Air (T&WA).
Howard Hughes purchased T&WA in 1939. The airline expanded dramatically under the leadership of Hughes and CEO Jack Frye, beginning transatlantic service in 1946 using new Lockheed Constellation aircraft. T&WA was a major helper in the foundation of Saudi Arabian Airlines. In 1950, the airline changed its name to Trans World Airlines (TWA).
From the mid-1940s to the early 1970s, TWA was one of only two U.S. airlines that flew to Europe (the other was Pan American World Airways). It established routes from Europe to Asia during the 1950s and 1960s, flying its aircraft as far east as Hong Kong. In the Transpacific Route Case of 1969, TWA was given authority to extend its route network across the Pacific Ocean as well. TWA was the official airline of the St. Louis Rams, and the airline painted a Rams' helmet on one of their Boeing 727's.
Hughes' growing eccentricities caused TWA to sue for his removal as chairman in 1961. Under new corporate management, the TWA Corporation expanded to purchase the overseas operations of Hilton Hotels. By 1969, TWA's transatlantic operation was larger than Pan Am's.
TWA's landmark Terminal 5 at New York City's JFK Airport, designed by Eero Saarinen, is one of the world's most famous buildings: a lyrical expression of the unified sculptural forms that could be created in reinforced concrete, before the age of computers.
However, airline deregulation hit TWA hard. The holding company, Trans World Corporation, spun off the airline. The airline briefly considered selling itself to corporate raider Frank Lorenzo in the 1980s, but ended up selling to Carl Icahn in 1985. Later, in 1992, the airline filed for bankruptcy.
On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island, New York in mid-air and crashed into the ocean, killing all 230 people on board.
After reorganizing as a primarily domestic carrier, with routes centered around hubs at St. Louis and New York, TWA announced a major fleet renewal in 1998, ordering 125 aircraft. However, financial problems began to resurface shortly afterward, and the company merged with American Airlines in April of 2001. Trans World Airlines flew its last flight on December 1, 2001. The ceremonial last flight was Flight 220 from Kansas City, Missouri to St. Louis, Missouri. However, the final flight before TWA officially became part of American Airlines was completed between St. Louis, Missouri and Las Vegas, Nevada, also on December 1st, 2001. At 10:00 PM CST on December 1st, 2001, employees began removing all TWA signs and placards from airports around the country, replacing them with American Airlines signs. At midnight, all TWA flights officially became listed as American Airlines flights. Some aircraft carried hybrid American/TWA livery during the transition, with American's tricolor stripe on the fuselage and TWA's name on the tail.
Since the merger, American has significantly scaled down operations at TWA's bases, moving its focus in St. Louis to regional jet service and downsizing its maintenance staff in Kansas City. Although American obtained many aircraft from TWA (of types that were already common in American's fleet), many analysts believe that the fleet expansion and St. Louis hub were not worth the additional debt and large number of veteran employees inherited from TWA.
IATA Code
TWA used the IATA designator code TW.
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