12/10/1958: First Jet-Powered US Domestic Flight

DALLAS — Today, in 1958, National Airlines (NA) conducted the first domestic US flight operated by a jet airliner, beating American Airlines (AA) by a month.

National had leased a single Boeing 707 (N710PA) from Pan American (PA) while it awaited the arrival of its jet equipment. It was put to work on the carrier's flagship route between Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK).

Pan American introduced the Boeing 707 on October 26. NA subsequently beat AA in introducing a jet airliner into regular domestic service. AA put the type to work on its transcontinental service between JFK and Los Angeles (LAX) in January 1959.

However, NA would go on to purchase Boeing's rival, the Douglas DC-8. They followed in the footsteps of Delta Air Lines (DL) and United Airlines (UA), which had put the Douglas jet into service in September 1959.

National Airlines

National Airlines began operating in 1934, initially providing services within the state of Florida. However, the company quickly expanded its operations across the eastern United States and became the dominant carrier between Florida and New York by the 1950s. Furthermore, National Airlines was granted permission to fly to Havana, Cuba.

In 1961, National Airlines introduced its DC-8 aircraft and used them on transcontinental routes connecting Florida, Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO). By 1968, the airline had retired all of its Lockheed L-188 Electra planes and became an all-jet airline.

Unfortunately, in the late 1970s, National Airlines faced financial difficulties. As a result, on January 7, 1980, Pan Am took over the airline's operations, leading to the disappearance of the National Airlines name from the skies.

Featured Image: The DC-8 was chosen over the Boeing 707 and NA would go on to operate the -20, -30, -50, and -60 variants.