Western Airlines History: The Only Way to Fly – Airline Employee Shop

Western Airlines History

Western Airlines began as Western Air Express in 1925 and flew the American West for more than sixty years before joining Delta in 1987. Here's a short history of Western, plus the Western Airlines collection that celebrates it.

Western Air Express (1925-1940)

Harris Hanshue founded Western Air Express in July 1925. On April 17, 1926, Western's first flight took place on the Salt Lake City to Los Angeles airmail route in a Douglas M-2, and passenger service began about a month later. In 1930 Western, flying Fokker aircraft, merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to form Transcontinental and Western Air, the airline that became TWA.

Western Air Lines grows (1941-1968)

In 1941 Western Air Express changed its name to Western Air Lines, later Western Airlines. It took a controlling interest in Inland Air Lines in 1944 and later merged it into Western. In 1967 Western acquired Seattle-based Pacific Northern Airlines. In 1969 Western began nonstop flights between several California airports and Hawaii.

The Flying W and deregulation (1970-1986)

In 1970 Western introduced a scheme with a large red "W" on an all-white fuselage, later updated in the 1980s. The airline was headquartered in Los Angeles. Its main hub was Salt Lake City, with a smaller hub at Los Angeles, and Denver served as a hub before deregulation.

Joining Delta (1986-1987)

Western and Delta Air Lines agreed to merge on September 9, 1986. The Department of Transportation approved the deal on December 11, 1986, and shareholders approved it five days later. The Western brand was retired and the two workforces were fully merged on April 1, 1987.

A few things collectors love

  • Western's longtime slogan was "Western Airlines...The Only Way to Fly!"
  • Wally Bird, a cartoon bird who rode on the fuselage of a Western airliner in TV ads, starred in the 1956 "oooooonly way to fly" campaign.
  • The bold red "Flying W" of 1970 is one of the cleanest airline designs of its time.

Shop Western Airlines

Browse Western Airlines logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the Western Airlines collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for the Western fan in your life.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Delta Air Lines.