Pan American World Airways, or "Pan Am," was principal international air carrier of the United States for most of its lifetime—first flying mail between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, in 1927. By the 1950s, Pan Am offered "around the world" service and its brand was as familiar abroad as Coca-Cola.
In the Jet Age, Pan Am faced growing challenges as international travel grew and U.S. airlines deregulated in the late 1970s. Pan Am increasingly competed with airlines expanding into foreign markets from extensive domestic routes. Attempting to quickly create a domestic system, Pan Am acquired Miami-based National Airlines in 1980. After selling most of its international routes to raise operating funds, Pan Am ended in bankruptcy in December 1991.
Delta began operating Pan Am's transatlantic routes on November 1, 1991, becoming overnight a major carrier across the Atlantic. Acquisitions included Pan Am's New York to Europe routes, hub operations at Frankfurt and New York-JFK, and Pan Am's Miami—London and Detroit—London routes. London operations were from Gatwick airport only; Pan Am had earlier sold its London-Heathrow access and transpacific routes to United Airlines in 1985.
Copenhagen, Denmark; London and Manchester, England; Paris, France; Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, Germany; Dublin and Shannon, Ireland; and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Copenhagen, Denmark; London and Manchester, England; Paris, France; Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, Germany; Dublin and Shannon, Ireland; and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Athens, Greece; Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Bucharest, Romania; Budapest, Hungary; Delhi, India; Geneva, Switzerland; Helsinki, Finland; Istanbul, Turkey; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Moscow, Russian Federation (Russia); Mumbai, India; Nice, France; Oslo, Norway; Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic); Rome, Italy; St. Petersburg, Russian Federation (Russia); Stockholm, Sweden; Tel Aviv, Israel; Vienna, Austria; Warsaw, Poland; Zurich, Switzerland.
These were historic routes. Pan Am was first with scheduled service across the Atlantic in 1939. Early routes to Germany and Western Europe dated to 1946 and American Overseas Airlines (AOA), the transatlantic division of American Airlines. Pan Am had purchased AOA from American on September 25, 1950, acquiring service to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Oslo, Norway; Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport (KEF), Iceland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Berlin, Frankfurt and other cities in Germany.
Delta acquired various other assets from Pan Am, including lease and purchase agreements for Airbus 310 aircraft. Delta also purchased the Pan Am Shuttle. The Shuttle offered frequent service between New York—Boston and New York—Washington, DC. Delta Shuttle operations started on September 1, 1991.
First U.S. airline to operate permanent international air service (Key West, Florida—Havana, Cuba). First U.S. airline to operate land aircraft over water on a regular schedule.
First U.S. airline to develop an airport and airways traffic control system. First U.S. airline to carry emergency life-saving equipment. First U.S. airline to order and purchase aircraft built to its own specifications, with the Sikorsky S-38 flying boat.
First U.S. airline to offer international air express service.
First U.S. airline to develop and operate four-engine flying boats—Pan Am's first Clippers, its Sikorsky S-40 fleet.
First airline to sell all-expense international air tour packages.
First airline to develop and employ long-range weather forecasting. First airline to operate scheduled transpacific passenger and mail service.
First airline with scheduled transatlantic mail and passenger services.
1958 film 6 1/2 Magic Hours shows early Pan Am transatlantic jet service from New York to London with Boeing 707.
First airline to complete a round-the-world flight. The first airline to fly internationally with all-cargo aircraft.
First airline to operate a scheduled round-the-world service.
First airline to provide coach-class service outside the continental U.S.
Pan Am is the launch customer for Boeing's long-range 377 Stratocruiser.
Pan Am's Boeing 707 Clipper America flies the first scheduled transatlantic service of a U.S.-built jet.
First airline to develop a global computer reservations system, named PANAMAC.
First airline to relay in-flight messages via satellite.
First airline to make a fully automatic approach and landing in scheduled service.
First airline to fly the Boeing 747 widebody jet in scheduled service.
One of the first airlines to introduce a new class of service for business and full-fare economy passengers, called Pan Am's "Clipper Class."
- YouTube: 1958 film 6 1/2 Magic Hours shows early Pan Am transatlantic jet service from New York to London with Boeing 707. (see above)
- University of Miami Library: Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records. The corporate archives of Pan Am, holding extensive collections of photo and subject files, Charles A. Lindbergh letters, advertising, and more.
- The Pan Am Historical Foundation: Educational foundation established to preserve and promote the legacy of Pan American World Airways in 1992. Online resources include aircraft fleet lists; timelines; employee first-hand accounts of special events; galleries of audio, video, photos and ads; and links to related Pan Am sites.
- Airline Timetable Images: American Overseas Airlines (AOA) timetables, including a complete August 1950 issue, just prior to AOA's acquisition by Pan Am in September.
- Everything Pan Am: Images, dates and other information about Pan Am collectibles, including an extensive catering section.
- Pan Am Clippers: Flying boat history, merchandise and directory of related Pan Am history and aircraft sites.
- National Sundowners: National Airlines employee memories and memorabilia from the airlines' founding in 1937 to the merger with Pan Am in 1980.
- Book: Pan Am: An Airline and Its Aircraft, by R.E.G. Davies, 1987. Includes Pan Am aircraft photos, route maps and fleet lists.
- Book: Pan Am: An Aviation Legend, by Barnaby Conrad III, 1999. Lavishly illustrated coffee table book filled with Pan Am photos and advertising.