.avif)
DALLAS — Today, in 1992, US Air Shuttle (US) took to the skies after taking over the Trump Shuttle (TB) operation. TB ceased to exist on April 7, when the latest owners merged it into a new holding company, "Shuttle, Inc."
Donald Trump created his own airline in 1989 after raising US$365 million to purchase Eastern Airlines Shuttle (EA), which can be traced back to 1961. The service offered business travelers hourly flights between New York (LGA), Boston (BOS), and Washington (DCA). TB initially operated sixty-four flights per day.
A Luxury Product
The airline inherited 17 Boeing 727s, and the new owners spent US$1m refurbishing each aircraft. Trump also turned the operation from a no-frills operation to a luxury service. Aircraft were kitted out with maple wood veneer and gold bathroom accessories. Passengers were offered free meals and complimentary champagne and wine.
However, within 18 months, TB had lost over US$128m. Trump wanted out and decided to look for a buyer.
US Air Shuttle
US Air saw the value in the ‘shuttle’ product and, in December 1991, agreed to take over the service. This would be a marketing agreement with US Air, which would fly it as the US Shuttle for ten years, with the option to buy the company after five. The airline exercised this right on November 19, 1997, purchasing the remaining 60% of outstanding shares.
Today, the US Air Shuttle is known as the American Airlines Shuttle after US was absorbed into AA in October 2015. It serves LGA, BOS, DCA, and Chicago (ORD). The airline utilizes its Airbus A319, Boeing 737-800, and Embraer E175 jets on the routes.
Find out more in our latest issue. Explore all the subscriptions plans that Airways has for you. From thrilling stories to insights into the commercial aviation industry. We are a global review of commercial flight.
Exploring Airline History Volume I
.webp)
David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
December 2024
