Twa

Trans World Airlines, commonly known as TWA, was an American airline which was bought by American Airlines in April 2001. 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 (TWA).

Howard Hughes purchased TWA 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. In 1950, the airline changed its name to Trans World Airlines.

From the 1940s to 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.

Hughes' growing eccentricities caused TWA to sue for his removal as chairman in 1961. Under new corporate management, the TWA Corporation expanded to purchase Hilton Hotels. By 1969, TWA's transatlantic operation was larger than Pan Am's.

However, airline deregulation hit TWA hard. The airline briefly considered selling itself to corporate raider Frank Lorenzo in the 1980s, but ended up selling to Carl Icahn in 1985.

On July 17, 1996, a TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island 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 was sold to American Airlines in April of 2001, flying its last flight on December 1.

IATA Code

TWA used the IATA designator code TW.

Other interesting facts

• TWA was a major helper in the foundation of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
• In a perhaps ironic twist, TWA carried Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) back home to Louisville after the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, and would later have Ali's ring rival, Sonny Liston, do a commercial for them.
• According to the movie, Great Balls of Fire, singer Jerry Lee Lewis flew on TWA when travelling to his European tour.
• TWA was the official airline of the St. Louis Rams, and the airline painted a Rams' helmet on one of their Boeing 727's.
• TWA's landmark Terminal 5 at New York'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.

See also

• TWA Flight 800

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