Fort Worth-based American Airlines celebrated its 100th anniversary on April 15.
The first flight for the company was on a DH-4 biplane with a bag of mail, headed from Chicago to St. Louis, according to the airline’s website. Charles A. Lindbergh, the chief pilot of Robertson Aircraft Corporation, was the pilot of that first trip. Robertson was one of the airlines that ultimately became American Airlines.
The background
What started as American Airways, the first operation building and hangar was at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, which was once the headquarters of American Airlines at 201 Aviation Way, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the airline’s historical timeline, the company changed its name to American Airlines, Inc., in 1934.
According to its website, American Airlines operated the first plane to land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 1974. The headquarters moved from New York City to Fort Worth in 1979 and American established its first hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 1981.
Other notable dates for the airline included:
- 1956—Opening the American Airlines Stewardess College in Fort Worth
- 1970—American merges with Trans Caribbean Airways
- 1984—American Eagle regional flight services start
- 2001—Acquires Trans World Airlines
- 2013—Acquires US Airways
- 2015—The Robert W. Baker Integrated Operations Center opened in Fort Worth
- 2019—300-acre headquarters in Fort Worth named the Robert L. Crandall Campus, an honor of the airline’s former chairman and CEO
American Airlines operates in every terminal at DFW Airport and will add 31 new gates when Terminal F opens in 2027, according to previous reporting.
What’s happening
The airline is celebrating with special branding, a design that incorporates the American insignia and a 100 for its aircraft fleet with nods to its legacy. Certain planes will have special Flagship DFW livery, according to its website.
