COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 481111

Air Passenger Carriers, Scheduled

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

95companies1822–2001founding years95still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGroupe Bolloré
1822
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedKoninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, N.V.
1919
FoundedFinnair Oyj
1923
FoundedLOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze S.A.)
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedContinental Airlines, Inc.
1934
FoundedAir Canada
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedAir New Zealand Limited
1940
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedBradley Air Services Ltd.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSociété Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A.
1948
FoundedAll Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
1952
FoundedPakistan International Airlines Corporation
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedLoganair Ltd.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTUI Group GmbH
1968
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedSwiss International Air Lines Ltd.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedSpirit Airlines, Inc.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedMidwest Express Holdings, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedChina Southern Airlines Company Ltd.
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedJet Airways (India) Private Limited
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Groupe Bolloré →
Active · founded 1822 · France
Groupe Bolloré is a diversified industrial conglomerate with leadership status in most of its operating areas.
Swire Pacific Limited →
Active · founded 1866 · Hong Kong
Swire Pacific Limited, which came to prominence as one of the 19th-century British-owned trading houses based in Hong…
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S →
Active · founded 1904 · Denmark
A.P.
Avianca Aerov&iacute Nacionales de Colombia SA →
Active · founded 1919 · Colombia
Considered the world's second oldest operating airline after KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Avianca Aerov&iacute Nacionales…
Flying Boat, Inc. (Chalk's Ocean Airways) →
Active · founded 1919
Flying Boat, Inc., which does business under the trade name Chalk's Ocean Airways, is the world's top seaplane airline.
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, N.V. →
Active · founded 1919 · Netherlands
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, N.V., translated as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and best known simply as KLM, is the…
Qantas Airways Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Qantas Airways Ltd.
Tokyu Corporation →
Active · founded 1922 · Japan
Tokyu Corporation operates railways, freight companies, bus companies, and a domestic airline in Japan.
Aeroflot →
Active · founded 1923 · Russian Federation
Once the largest airline in the world, during the days of the Soviet Empire, Aeroflot--Russian International Airlines…
Ceské aerolinie, a.s. →
Active · founded 1923 · Czech Republic
Ceské aerolinie, a.s., also called Czech Airlines or CSA, flies to approximately 70 destinations in more than 40…
Finnair Oyj →
Active · founded 1923 · Finland
Based in Helsinki, Finnair Oyj is the national airline of Finland and the fifth oldest airline in the world.
Sabena S.A./N.V. →
Active · founded 1923 · Belgium
Sabena S.A./N.V.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG →
Active · founded 1926 · Germany
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (commonly referred to as Lufthansa) is the largest airline in Germany and one of the three…
VARIG S.A. (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense) →
Active · founded 1927 · Brazil
An estimated 11 million passengers a year fly VARIG S.A.
Trans World Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
In the 1990s, Trans World Airlines, Inc.
LOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze S.A.) →
Active · founded 1929 · Poland
Polskie Linie Lotnicze S.A., or LOT Polish Airlines, was the first airline in Eastern Europe to ditch its fleet of old…
Lan Chile S.A. →
Active · founded 1929 · Chile
Four million passengers a year fly Lan Chile S.A., or LanChile as it has been styling itself since the mid-1990s.
Grupo TACA →
Active · founded 1931 · El Salvador
Grupo TACA (Transportes Aéreas Centro-Americanos) is the third largest air carrier in Latin America.
Alaska Air Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Alaska Air Group, Inc.
Turkish Airlines Inc. (Türk Hava Yollari A.O.) →
Active · founded 1933 · Turkey
Turkish Airlines Inc., or Türk Hava Yollari A.O.
AMR Corporation →
Active · founded 1934
AMR Corporation is a holding company whose principal subsidiary is American Airlines, Inc., which was founded in 1934.
Continental Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Continental Airlines, Inc.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
SAA (Pty) Ltd. →
Active · founded 1934 · South Africa
SAA (Pty) Ltd., better known as South African Airways, is the largest domestic carrier in South Africa, operating 575…
UAL Corporation →
Active · founded 1934
UAL Corporation is the holding company for United Airlines, Inc., the world's largest airline, which flies 240,000…
Aer Lingus Group plc →
Active · founded 1936 · Ireland
A relatively late starter among European flag carriers, Aer Lingus Group plc has grown quickly in its first few decades…
Air Canada →
Active · founded 1937 · Canada
Air Canada is the only national, full-service airline based in Canada.
Icelandair →
Active · founded 1937 · Iceland
Icelandair (Fluglei'ir hf.), Iceland's largest publicly traded company, has played off its unique mid-Atlantic location…
Malaysian Airlines System Berhad →
Active · founded 1937 · Malaysia
Malaysian Airlines System Berhad is the holding company for Malaysia's national airline carrier, one of Asia's fastest…
US Airways Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
US Airways Group, Inc.
British Midland plc →
Active · founded 1938 · United Kingdom
British Midland plc, the second largest airline in the United Kingdom, flies more than six million passengers a year to…
Air New Zealand Limited →
Active · founded 1940 · New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited (ANZ) is New Zealand's largest airline.
Mesaba Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1944
Mesaba Holdings, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Mesaba Aviation, Inc.
TAP →
Active · founded 1945 · Portugal
Lisbon-based TAP--Air Portugal Transportes Aéreos Portugueses S.A.
Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiana, S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1946 · Italy
Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiana, S.p.A is the national airline of Italy.
Braathens ASA →
Active · founded 1946 · Norway
Braathens ASA is Norway's largest airline.
Bradley Air Services Ltd. →
Active · founded 1946 · Canada
Bradley Air Services Ltd.
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited →
Active · founded 1946 · Hong Kong
After World War II, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited grew from a small regional airline to a prosperous international…
Kenmore Air Harbor Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Kenmore Air Harbor Inc.
The SAS Group →
Active · founded 1946 · Sweden
The SAS Group is made up of the Scandinavian Airlines System and SAS International Hotels d.b.a.
Air Pacific Ltd. →
Active · founded 1947 · Fiji
Air Pacific Ltd.
Arrow Air Holdings Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Arrow Air Holdings Corporation owns Arrow Air, Inc., which is the fourth largest cargo airline in the United States and…
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A. →
Active · founded 1948 · Luxembourg
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A.
Société Tunisienne de l'Air-Tunisair →
Active · founded 1948 · Tunisia
Société Tunisienne de l'Air-Tunisair (Tunisair) is Tunisia's state-sponsored international airline.
Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A. →
Active · founded 1949 · Argentina
Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A.
Garuda Indonesia →
Active · founded 1949 · Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is a major international and domestic airline that has been the flagship of Indonesia's airways for…
Gulf Air Company →
Active · founded 1950 · Bahrain
Gulf Air Company is the national airline of Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1952 · Japan
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
Japan Airlines Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1953 · Japan
Japan Airlines Company, Ltd.
Kuwait Airways Corporation →
Active · founded 1954 · State of Kuwait
Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) is the flag carrier of Kuwait.
TAROM S.A. →
Active · founded 1954 · Romania
TAROM S.A.
LTU Group Holding GmbH →
Active · founded 1955 · Germany
LTU Group Holding GmbH is Germany's third-largest leisure travel tour operator and one of Europe's leading charter…
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation →
Active · founded 1955 · Pakistan
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIA) is the flag carrier of Pakistan, whose government owns 85 percent of…
TransBrasil S/A Linhas Aéreas →
Active · founded 1955 · Brazil
TransBrasil S/A Linhas Aéreas, Brazil's third-largest airline, flies about three million passengers a year.
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) →
Active · founded 1957 · Austria
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) has traditionally been known as 'little brother' to its German…
Royal Nepal Airline Corporation →
Active · founded 1958 · Nepal
Royal Nepal Airline Corporation (RNAC) is the state airline of Nepal, and one of the driving forces behind the…
China Airlines →
Active · founded 1959 · Taiwan
Although China Airlines (CAL) became something of a pariah when the United Nations recognized the People's Republic of…
TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A. →
Active · founded 1961 · Brazil
TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A.
Loganair Ltd. →
Active · founded 1962 · United Kingdom
Loganair Ltd., known as "Scotland's Airline," provides remote island communities in the region with a commercial…
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation is a leading regional airline in the United States.
Air Mauritius Ltd. →
Active · founded 1967 · Mauritius
Air Mauritius Ltd.
Southwest Airlines Co. →
Active · founded 1967
Southwest Airlines Co.
Air Jamaica Limited →
Active · founded 1968 · Jamaica
Air Jamaica Limited operates the national airline of Jamaica.
TUI Group GmbH →
Active · founded 1968 · Germany
TUI Group GmbH, based in Germany, is Europe's largest tourism conglomerate.
Bahamas Air Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1970 · Bahamas
Bahamas Air Holdings Ltd., or Bahamasair, is the national airline of the Bahamas.
Amtran, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Amtran, Inc.
Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Chautauqua Airlines, Inc.
Virgin Group →
Active · founded 1973 · United Kingdom
Virgin Group is a diversified grouping of more than 200 privately held companies.
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. →
Active · founded 1975 · Switzerland
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
Comair Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Wholly owned by Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc.
Jersey European Airways (UK) Ltd. →
Active · founded 1979 · United Kingdom
Jersey European Airways (UK) Ltd.
Lauda Air Luftfahrt AG →
Active · founded 1979 · Austria
Lauda Air Luftfahrt AG is a unit of Austrian Airlines Group specializing in charters and Far East travel.
Spirit Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Travel Agent magazine calls Spirit Airlines, Inc.
America West Holdings Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
Of the more than 150 U.S.
Sun Country Airlines →
Active · founded 1982
Sun Country Airlines, operated solely as a vacation charter service for most of its history, became a scheduled carrier…
Tower Air, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Tower Air, Inc.
Mesa Air Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Five million passengers a year fly Mesa Air Group, Inc., although they may not know it by name: the company operates…
Midway Airlines Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Midway Airlines Corporation puts an old name on one of the youngest all-jet fleets in the United States.
Midwest Express Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Midwest Express Holdings, Inc.
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd. →
Active · founded 1985 · Hong Kong
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd., better known as Dragonair, is Hong Kong's second largest airline.
Ryanair Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1985 · Ireland
Ryanair Holdings plc, Europe's largest budget airline, has gone a long way toward making air travel a commodity in the…
The Emirates Group →
Active · founded 1985 · United Arab Emirates
The Emirates Group is composed of airport services provider DNATA (the Dubai National Air Transport Association) and…
China Eastern Airlines Co. Ltd. →
Active · founded 1988 · China
China Eastern Air Co.
China Southern Airlines Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1988 · China
China Southern Airlines Company Ltd.
EVA Airways Corporation →
Active · founded 1989 · Taiwan
EVA Airways Corporation, or EVA Air, is Taiwan's second largest airline.
AS Estonian Air →
Active · founded 1991 · Estonia
AS Estonian Air is the national airline of Estonia.
Air Berlin GmbH & Co. Luftverkehrs KG →
Active · founded 1991 · Germany
Air Berlin GmbH & Co.
Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc.
Jet Airways (India) Private Limited →
Active · founded 1991 · India
Jet Airways (India) Private Limited is India's leading private airline.
Air Sahara Limited →
Active · founded 1993 · India
Air Sahara Limited is a leading private airline in India, owned by the diversified Sahara India Parivar group.
Sterling European Airlines A/S →
Active · founded 1994 · Denmark
Sterling European Airlines A/S (SEA) is Scandinavia's leading low-fare airline.
WestJet Airlines Ltd. →
Active · founded 1994 · Canada
WestJet Airlines Ltd.
A/S Air Baltic Corporation →
Active · founded 1995 · Latvia
A/S Air Baltic Corporation (airBaltic) is Latvia's national airline.
Société d'Exploitation AOM Air Liberté SA (AirLib) →
Active · founded 2001 · France
Société d'Exploitation AOM Air Liberté SA (AirLib) is France's second largest airline.
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