PAN AM The Unofficial State Airline of the United States.

Every country has one airline that is the "State" airline that has government support.  Except the United States, we didn't have a "State Airline", but if we did it would have been PAN AM, it was the closest thing to a state sponsored airline that the United States had, the airline was legendary.  It was commonplace to see the "Blue Meatball" wherever you went on ads and on airplanes...even in movies of the future.

2001 A Space Odyssey

     The Rise and Fall of PAN-AM was legendary, how a company that had everything crashed.  I heard things from excessive gate cost to high union cost, to inefficient routing.  The people that were running PAN-AM at the end seemed to be coasting on the laurels of the company's reputation. 

Last month marked 93 years since Pan American World Airways was first founded. The airline would go on to shake up the global aviation industry, leaving a legacy that is still talked about today. However, despite being a cultural icon for much of the 20th century, the carrier’s life was eventually cut short before it could celebrate its 65th birthday.

The Pan Am 747 is one of the most recognizable planes of the 20th century. Photo: Getty Images

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 operated mail services. The Chicago Tribune reports that the first of these flights started on October 28th, 1927, with a scheduled operation between Key West and Havana. According to the New York Times, this was the first-ever scheduled flight performed by a United States-based airline. The Fokker F-VII crossed the Straits of Florida to land in the Cuban capital.

These progressive beginnings quickly gave the firm the confidence to venture into passenger services. Therefore, on January 16th, 1928, the operator served its first flight to Cuba with its paying passengers.

By the end of the month, 71 customers handed over around $50 ($2,500 today) each for the privilege to be flown 90 miles away. Advertising partnerships with Bacardi highlighted Cuba’s exotic offerings, attracting tourists from the US.

Some of Pan Am’s early passengers leaving for Havana. Photo: State Library and Archives of Florida via Wikimedia Commons

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.

Over the next few years, the outfit flew across Latin America with its fleet of seaplanes, which were useful at a time when runways weren’t so prominent. Business Insider highlights that because the pilots were operating vehicles that took off on water, they wore sea captain uniforms. Even today, the design of most crew member outfits can be traced back to this decision.

At the turn of the 1930s, a secret deal gave Pan Am 84.4 percent of SCADTA’s capital. This move effectively made it the Colombian arm of the US airline’s services.

One of the planes that Pan Am operated during the 1930s was a Sikorsky S-42. Photo: U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons

Pan Am’s expansion across the Americas was supported by Herbert Hoover, the president of the United States at the time. He became concerned about Germany’s foothold in South America so his administration helped to subsidize the airline’s expenses.

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, Pan Am took advantage of new technologies that had emerged such as the jet engine. It officially changed its name to the familiar title of Pan Am American World Airways in 1950. Thereafter, in October 1955, Trippe ordered 45 jetliners to help his company venture across the Atlantic.

These planes included 20 Boeing 707s and 25 Douglas DC-8s. A New York-London route operated by a 707 began on October 26th, 1958. This service saw a record of 111 passengers on the flight. This was the highest number of travelers ever to board on a single flight of regularly scheduled service.

The growth of Pan Am also saw the birth of other revolutionary national icons. 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 vertical sidewalks and high ceiling gave an abundance of space for passengers following its introduction in January 1970.

Economy class on a Pan Am 747 during the 1970s. Photo: Getty Images

With Pan Am’s vision and the Queen of the Skies’ abilities, the partnership was a match made in heaven. Over 300 passengers could now fly on once service, lowering operational costs and thus making it cheaper to fly for the general public.

This gave way to a whole new generation of fliers, with new passenger segments heading for the air for the first time. During the year that followed the jumbo’s launch, Pan Am served 11 million passengers to 86 different countries.

The 747 towered over its predecessor, the 707. Photo: Getty Images

This progress also sparked an overhaul for airports across the globe. In order to facilitate hundreds of travelers arriving and departing at a time, hubs upgraded their lounges, check-in counters, and terminals in the succeeding decades.

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 success. 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 federal control over many aspects of the market.

Therefore, Pan Am found it hard to keep up with its new rivals. Rising fuel costs also placed further financial burdens on the firm forcing it into a downward spiral during the 1980s.

After decades of services, Pan Am promoted itself as the world’s most experienced airline.
Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives via Wikimedia Commons

The 1988 Lockerbie disaster was the final straw for the airline. Not only was it a PR disaster, but it led to a $300 million lawsuit, along with an additional fine from the Federal Aviation Authority due to 19 security failings.

Subsequently, Pan Am filed for bankruptcy protection in January 1991. Delta Air Lines claims that the firm was losing $3 million per day during the latter part of that year. It also required $25 million just to keep flying for another week. Despite revival attempts, the airline was shut down once and for all on December 4th, with around 7,500 employees instantly losing their jobs.

Even though Pan Am’s story didn’t last as long as the likes of KLM or even its counterpart Avianca, it wrote its own, colorful tale for over six decades.

Images of Pan Am’s first class would go on to become time capsules of an exciting era of aviation. Photo: Getty Images

It also wasn’t the only airline to be affected during the 1980s, with other major carriers such as Braniff International Airways, Capitol Air, Frontier Airlines, Eastern Air Lines and Pacific South West Airlines all suffering as a result of deregulation.

Altogether, Pam Am shaped the course of the industry in a multitude of ways. From its ambitious routes to its game-changing aircraft, Pan Am’s legacy will continue to live on.