Trans World Express

Trans World Express (TWE) was the fully owned and certified regional carrier for Trans World Airlines (TWA) and an airline trademark name for TWA's corporation.

When American Airlines bought TWA, the regional airlines functioning under the Trans World Express "banner" became affiliated with American Airlines under the name and new banner air carrier branding AmericanConnection. Trans World Express service at that time was being provided by Trans States Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines, and Corporate Airlines (later RegionsAir).

• Trans World Express - The formerly independent regional airline known as Ransome Airlines previously owned by Pan Am (PA) before its purchase by the Trans World Corporation for TWA.
• TWE - the outsourced carriers flying as Trans World Express:
• Air Midwest
• Alpha Air[1]
• Trans States Airlines
• Metro Air Northeast

History

Until November 6, 1995, TWE, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of TWA, operated flights under the Trans World Express banner. This fully certificated airline, previously named and certificated as Ransome Airlines - Pan Am Express, was headquartered at Philadelphia Northeast Airport far from TWA's (John F. Kennedy International Airport and (STL) St Louis hubs.

After that date, November 6, 1995, TWA outsourced all TWE operations to third-party "banner" airlines. Other airlines previously operating under the name and TWE "banner" included Resort Air and Metro Air Northeast.

Most flights were from the Eastern Seaboard to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport or from the South and Midwest to Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport.

In 1993, Alpha Air was operating Trans World Express service with Beechcraft 1900C turboprops from a hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with service to Burbank (BUR), Grand Canyon (GCN), Lake Tahoe (TVL), Mammoth Lakes (MMH), Palm Springs (PSP), Phoenix (PHX) and Santa Ana/Orange County Airport (SNA, now John Wayne Airport).[1]

Fleet

The following aircraft were contracted and operating in the TWExpress system at the time of TWA's merger with American Airlines and the TWExpress brand was discontinued: Other aircraft that appeared in TWE colors included:

• Embraer ERJ-145
• ATR-72
• ATR-42
• Jetstream 41
• Jetstream 31/32

• Beechcraft 1900C[2]
• Saab 340
• de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7
• de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
• Fairchild Metro II/III
• CASA C-212 Aviocar

Destinations at closure

Trans World Express, via flights operated by Trans States Airlines, Corporate Airlines and Chautauqua Airlines, was serving the following destinations when the Trans World Express code share service was halted:[4][5]

Previous destinations

[6][7][8][1] Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Connecticut Illinois Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Missouri New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia

• United States

• Birmingham (Birmingham International Airport)

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

External links