Summary TWA was a major legacy US airline and a key early adopter of the Boeing 747. TWA was one of the first airlines to adopt hub & spoke operations at JFK Airport, effectively expanding international flights. TWA operated a historic fleet of Boeing 747s, with notable 747-100 models - one of which catastrophically exploded.
In 2001, Trans World Airlines (TWA) was acquired by American Airlines and the list of major legacy US airlines grew ever-shorter (now only four remain) . Founded in 1930, TWA was one of the most recognizable early US airlines and one of the most famous carriers of the jet age. While its legacy (including that of the Boeing 747 ) may not be as great as Pan Am, it was considered the nation's second unofficial flag carrier.
Here is a look at TWA's historic fleet of Boeing 747s. TWA hired well know pilots like Charles Lindbergh TWA can trace its history back to 1930 when several airlines merged at the suggestion of Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown to receive lucrative mail contracts. Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), Western Air Express (WAE), Maddux Air Lines, Standard, and Pittsburgh Aviation Industries Corporation (PAIC) merged to form Transcontinental & Western Air (T&WA) on October 1, 1930.
To boost the airline's reputation and capture the public's attention, T&WA brought in famous pilots of the day, including Charles Lindbergh , the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic. In 1931, T&WA relocated its headquarters from New York City to its c.