Timeline of major events in US Airways history
Feb 14, 2013, 9:13 AM | Updated: 12:53 pm
(AP) – 1939: Richard du Pont, of the DuPont chemical dynasty, founds All American Aviation, providing airmail service in Pennsylvania and the Ohio valley.
1948: Piedmont Airlines begins flying out of its base in Winston-Salem, N.C.
1949: All American transitions to passenger service. Pacific Southwest Airlines begins operations with service in California.
1953: All American changes its name to Allegheny Airlines.
1968: Allegheny merges with Indianapolis-based Lake Central Airlines.
1972: Allegheny acquires Mohawk Airlines, based in Utica, N.Y.
1978: Deregulation comes to the U.S. airline industry. Airlines are free to pick their own routes and set their own fares.
1979: Allegheny changes its name to USAir. It enters Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas.
1983: America West Airlines begins operations in Phoenix.
1986: Piedmont acquires Empire Airlines and its Syracuse, N.Y., hub.
1987: Piedmont Airlines and San Diego-based PSA become wholly-owned subsidiaries of USAir Group in two separate deals.
1992: USAir takes a 40 percent interest in the Trump Shuttle. Hourly flights from New York are offered to Boston and Washington, D.C., on what is now called USAir Shuttle. The airline takes full control of the shuttle five years later.
1993: USAir and British Airways announce an alliance plan, under which USAir gives up its London route authority. Three years later the partnership falls apart and USAir is left without lucrative spots at Heathrow airport.
1997: The airline changes its name to US Airways.
2000: United Airlines announces a deal to buy US Airways for $4.3 billion but the merger is blocked the following year by the Justice Department.
2002: US Airways enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on Aug. 11.
2004: The airline files for bankruptcy protection for the second time in as many years on Sept. 14.
2005 America West announces on May 19 plans to buy US Airways out of bankruptcy. US Airways was days away from being liquidated. America West CEO Doug Parker heads up the new airline, a post he still has today.
2006: Parker makes an unsolicited $8.5 billion bid for Delta Air Lines which was restructuring in bankruptcy court. The airline rebuts the offer, with its CEO calling US Airways “the worst of all potential merger partners.”
2009: On Jan. 15, flight 1549 hits a flock of geese and loses power in both engines shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger ditches the airplane in the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crew survive.
2010: US Airways and United once again discuss a merger only to have United ultimately chose to merge with Continental.
2011: AMR Corp., the parent of American Airlines, files for bankruptcy protection on Nov. 29. US Airways hires advisers to study a possible combination.
2012: US Airways and American disclose on Aug. 31 that they have signed a non-disclosure agreements and started confidential merger talks.
Feb. 13, 2013: The boards of American and US Airways approve a merger creating the world’s biggest airline.
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