 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(February 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| |||||||
| Founded | 1945; 81 years ago (1945) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1950; 76 years ago (1950) merged intoPan American World Airways) | ||||||
| Fleet size | 33 (2SV-44, 1DC-3, 2C-47, 6C-54, 7DC-4, 7L-049, 8Boeing 377) | ||||||
| Headquarters | New York City,New York,United States | ||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1937; 89 years ago (1937) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1945; 81 years ago (1945) (merged intoAmerican Airlines and renamed American Overseas Airlines) | ||||||
| Fleet size | 14 (1PBY-4, 3SV-44, 1DC-3, 2Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 7Douglas C-54 Skymaster) | ||||||
| Headquarters | New York City,New York, United States | ||||||
.jpg)
American Overseas Airlines (AOA) was anairline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered inMidtown Manhattan,New York City.[1]
American Export Airlines (AEA), commonly known asAm Ex, was founded in April 1937 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the shipping companyAmerican Export Lines. Transatlantic surveys were done with aConsolidated PBY-4 flying boat and in 1939 AEA placed an order for threeVought-Sikorsky VS-44 flying boats, dubbed 'Flying Aces', named after the parent company'sFour Aces. That same year, AEA made an application to the U.S.Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for routes across the Atlantic from the United States to theUnited Kingdom,France, andPortugal. On July 15, 1940, in spite of strong protests byJuan Trippe, the president ofPan American Airways (PAA), PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt gave his approval to AEA for a seven-year temporary certificate to serveLisbon (Portugal) fromNew York City-La Guardia Flying Boat base. Later, services were also flown toFoynes (Ireland). These services ended in 1944 when AEA started operations on behalf of the U.S.Air Transport Command (ATC), usingDouglas C-54 Skymasters mainly between the US and military bases inNorth Africa.[2]
AEA could not begin its New York City (USA) – Foynes (Ireland) flying boat service before June 1942, due in part to vigorous objections from PAA.[citation needed]
In 1945, AEA was awarded transatlantic rights, which covered destinations inNorthern Europe with the requirement that the shipping company (American Export Lines) divest itself of control and turn the control over to another carrier, so that an airline was not controlled by a surface carrier. Consequently, enough stock was sold toAmerican Airlines to give them control, but the chairman of the board of AEA, J. E. Slater, remained. American Airlines was interested in acquiring AEA since it wanted to break into the overseas market, dominated at that time by PAA. The US CAB approved the acquisition of AEA by American Airlines on July 5, 1945. The La Guardia –Botwood –Shannon route was initially operated by Vought-Sikorskyflying boats using theMarine Air Terminal atLaGuardia Airport.[3] By 1948 the airline also servedPrestwick,Amsterdam,Frankfurt,Berlin,Keflavik,Oslo,Copenhagen,Stockholm andHelsinki.[4]
The AEA name was retained until November 1945 when AEA was renamed toAmerican Overseas Airlines.[5] The entity started operations with six C-54s at the end of AEA's ATC contract.[6]
AOA launched international landplane flights on October 24, 1945, operating aDouglas DC-4,Flagship New England (N90904), on the routeNew York City toLondon[7] viaBoston,Gander (Newfoundland) andShannon (Ireland).
The reliable but unpressurised DC-4s were replaced on the Atlantic routes byLockheed L-049 Constellations from 23 June 1946.[8] From summer 1949 the Constellations were supplemented and then largely replaced byBoeing 377 Stratocruisers, the first AOA service by the type being on 17 August that year toLondon Heathrow Airport.[9]
AOA was acquired by PAA but on May 17, 1950, the US CAB ruled against this merger.[10] PresidentHarry S. Truman, however, overturned the CAB decision, and AOA was merged into what would become Pan American's Atlantic Division on September 25, 1950. This unit ultimately became part ofDelta Air Lines, following Pan Am's bankruptcy in 1991.
According to the August 1, 1950, American Overseas Airlines system timetable, the carrier was serving the following destinations shortly before Pan American was allowed to acquire the airline:[11]
The above referenced timetable states that the airline was operatingBoeing 377 Stratocruiser,Douglas DC-3,Douglas DC-4 andLockheed L-049 Constellation prop aircraft at this time, all of which AOA referred to as "flagships". The same AOA timetable also contains anAmerican Airlines (AA) connecting service route map with domestic U.S flights as well as flights between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico operated by AA.
On June 18, 1942, an AEAConsolidated 16 Commodore (NC664M) sank intoTakla Lake while being flown to Alaska. The flying boat had been contracted by the U.S. Military and was on a fuel stop in Takla Lake when the fuel spilt, causing a fire which sunk the plane. In 2010, plans were made to salvage the wreck and send it toSan Diego Air & Space Museum.[12]
On October 3, 1942, AEA'sExcalibur (NC41880), aVought-Sikorsky VS-44, crashed on take-off atBotwood (Newfoundland) whenflaps were inadvertently extended to landing position, thus causing the aircraft to stall immediately after lift-off. In the crash, 5 out of crew of 11 and 6 out of 26 passengers perished.[13]
On April 21, 1945, an AEADouglas C-54 (41-107452) crashed atKindley Field,Bermuda, after suffering engine failure on a cargo flight. It is unknown if there were any fatalities or injuries.[14]
On October 3, 1946, AOA'sFlagship New England (N90904)crashed into a steep ridge en route fromStephenville (Newfoundland) toShannon (Ireland). This plane crash happened 7.1 miles past the departure runway. There were 8 crew and 31 passenger fatalities; no survivors. The crash investigators attributed the probable cause to "The action of the pilot in maintaining the direction of take-off toward higher terrain over which adequate clearance could not be gained."[15]
On May 3, 1947, AOA'sFlagship Denmark was damaged on the runway in Boston when the right wing struck the ground because the right landing gear was retracted while the plane was on the ground.[16]
Consolidated PBY-4 28-4:
The flagship Denmark swung around and the right wing struck the ground and ... He said the accident was caused when the right landing gear retracted.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
Oneworld member | |||||||
| Mergers and acquisitions |
| ||||||
| Facilities | |||||||
| Programs | |||||||
| Brands | |||||||
| Accidents and incidents |
| ||||||
| People | |||||||
| Organizations |
| ||||||
| Related | |||||||
