RN3DB

February 6, 2026

Good Morning,

This week I want to remind everyone of those air carriers that are gone but not forgotten. Sad to think that we have lost all of air national/international carriers except for six….seven if you include Southwest. Take some time to look back and remember those who are “Gone BUT NOT Forgotten.

Enjoy…..

1978 Roll Call of Legacy Carriers

Alaska Airlines	Northwest
Aloha Airlines	Ozark
Air Cal	Pacific Southwest
American	Pan Am
Braniff	Piedmont
Continental	Republic
Delta	Southwest
Eastern	TWA
Frontier	United
Hawaiian	US Air
National	Western

Mergers and failures are difficult to keep up with, but there are some significant changes that took place in the 1980s and the decades after that can provide us with some perspective of the state of the industry. Consider the following facts:

Aloha Airlines failed in 2008
Air Cal was absorbed by American in 1987
Braniff failed in 1982 and Braniff II failed in 1989
Continental is still with us but the current Continental is a remake of the original Continental that was bought out by TI/Frank Lorenzo
Eastern failed in 1990
Frontier was absorbed by Continental in 1985
National was absorbed by Pan AM in 1980
Northwest was absorbed by Delta in 2008/2009
Ozark was absorbed by TWA in 1986
Pacific Southwest was absorbed by US Air in 1988-
Pan Am failed in 1990
Piedmont was absorbed by US Air in 1989
Republic was absorbed by Northwest in 1980
TWA was absorbed by American in 2001
Western was absorbed by Delta in 1987

The following airlines are still in operation: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, US Air, and Southwest Airlines.

I have closed with pictures of the fallen carriers, so enjoy, take some time to look back at the history of commercial aviation, and never forget that job security in aviation is a myth even in the best of times.

Robert Novell

February 6, 2026