On Saturday, October 17, US Airways finished its final flight after a tenure that stretched back 76 years. The brand was eliminated as part of a 2013 merger with American Airlines. Click through the gallery to see how many of these out-of-business airlines you can remember.
Allegheny Airlines —
US Airways started in Pittsburgh as All-American Aviation, which began as an airmail service in 1939. By the '40s and '50s, it was flying passengers to and from Maryland, New York, Ohio, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. In 1953, it changed its name to Allegheny Airlines. In 1968, Allegheny began a long tradition of acquiring airlines by merging with Lake Central Airlines. That allowed it to expand its routes to Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. In 1972, Allegheny merged with Mohawk Airlines. Allegheny's livery looked like this in 1975.
USAir —
In 1978, Allegheny renamed itself USAir. Later, the airline changed its paint scheme to this polished aluminum exterior, which saved fuel because it was lightweight.
Piedmont Airlines —
In the 1980s, USAir continued its strategy of growing by acquiring. In 1986, it bought San Diego-based Pacific Southwest Airlines, allowing it to gain a foothold in the West. USAir swallowed North Carolina-based Piedmont Airlines in 1989, making USAir a major player in the Eastern United States. Before the merger, Piedmont sponsored NASCAR driver Terry Labonte in 1986.
Continental Airlines —
Continental Airlines started in 1934 as Varney Speed Lines, which flew one route from El Paso, Texas, to Pueblo, Colorado. It renamed itself Continental Airlines in 1937 and began buying airplanes and expanding its service. In 1953, Continental merged with Pioneer Airlines, and by the end of the decade, it was flying jetliners. Expansion continued into international routes, including Asia and Europe. In the 1980s, its parent company, Texas Air Corporation, bought Eastern Airlines and PeopleExpress. A megamerger announced in 2010 between Continental and Chicago-based United Airlines resulted in the death of the Continental brand in 2012, after 75 years in business.
Northwest Airlines —
Northwest Airlines started flying passengers in the upper Midwest in 1927. In 1947, it began service from Minneapolis to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Manila, renaming itself Northwest Orient. It merged with Republic Airlines in 1986 as a way to expand its domestic routes and feed its departure points to Asia. It also dropped the word "Orient" from its name. In 1988, Northwest was the first domestic airline to ban smoking on all flights. Like many airlines after 2001, Northwest felt challenges from a new economic environment. It filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and then emerged. A megamerger with Delta Air Lines was announced in 2008, resulting in the death of the Northwest brand in 2010.
ValuJet and AirTran —
Atlanta-based ValuJet, launched in 1993, made a huge splash in the air travel industry with its low price structure but nearly went bankrupt after a 1996 crash left 110 people dead. A subsequent investigation revealed a long list of safety citations that sharply eroded public confidence. In 1997, ValuJet merged with Orlando, Florida-based AirTran Airways. Keeping the AirTran name, the merged airlines continued ValuJet's discount pricing philosophy while adding amenities for business travelers. In 2010, AirTran merged with Southwest Airlines in a deal valued at $1.4 billion. After integration into Southwest, AirTran's final flight was in 2014.
Trans World Airlines —
Trans World Airlines essentially taught Americans how to travel by airplane. Dating to 1930, it eventually saw its heyday under aviator/businessman Howard Hughes, who transformed TWA into an industry innovator. In the 1980s and '90s, it suffered through tough economic times, until it was bought by American Airlines in 2001.
National Airlines —
National Airlines was founded in Florida in 1934. By the 1950s, its routes stretched across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. Eventually, the airline established routes from Florida to California and in the 1970s added flights from Florida to London. Pan Am acquired control of National in 1980.
Pan American —
Pan American -- better known as Pan Am -- grew from an airmail service linking Florida and Cuba in 1927 to an airline with 150 aircraft flying to more than 85 nations. After World War II, Pan Am flew Lockheed 1049s, aka "Clippers," seen here. At its peak, Pan Am was the gold standard for luxury air travel. It was the first airline to fly Boeing's 747 Jumbo Jet. Rising fuel prices and other factors created financial burdens for Pan Am, and it declared bankruptcy in 1991.
Eastern Airlines —
Along with TWA, American and United, Eastern Airlines was one of the Big Four carriers that dominated passenger air travel during much of the 20th century. One of its innovations was an hourly shuttle linking New York, Washington and Boston starting in 1961. In the '70s, Eastern's advertising slogans such as "The wings of man" and "We earn our wings every day" became well-known. Stiff competition from no-frills airlines pushed Eastern to sell to Texas Air Corporation in 1986. Later, Texas Air sold Eastern's shuttle service to businessman Donald Trump. Challenges such as labor disputes and high fuel prices forced Eastern to file for bankruptcy in 1989. By 1991, it was over. Eastern was out of business.
Braniff Airways —
Braniff Airways -- based in the Southwest -- lasted for nearly 52 years before it died, another victim of the highly competitive market that developed after government deregulation. During its peak years in the 1970s, Braniff established many international routes, including flights to Europe, Mexico and South America.
PeoplExpress —
PeoplExpress was a low-cost airline founded in 1981 to take advantage of government deregulation of the airline industry. It established its main hub at Newark Liberty International Airport beginning with domestic flights and later expanding to London's Gatwick Airport. It really was no-frills: Passengers paid their airfare in cash while aboard the aircraft shortly after takeoff. The carrier purchased Frontier Airlines in 1985 but was unable to overcome the burden of rising debt. In 1987, PeoplExpress died when it merged with Continental Airlines.
