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Pan Am (1996–1998)

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Pan American Airways
IATA ICAO Call sign
PN PXA CLIPPER
Commenced operationsSeptember 26, 1996;
28 years ago
 (1996-09-26)[1][2]
Ceased operationsFebruary 26, 1998;
26 years ago
 (1998-02-26)
(merged with Carnival Air Lines)
HubsMiami International Airport
Fleet size12
Destinations17
Parent companyPan Am Corporation
HeadquartersDoral, Florida, U.S.
Key people

Pan American Airways, also known as Pan Am II, was an airline created in 1996 by an investment group that included former US ambassador Charles Cobb. The group purchased the rights to the venerable Pan Am brand after the original carrier declared bankruptcy in 1991. The airline was headquartered in the then-unincorporated city of Doral, near Miami, Florida.[3] It ceased operations in 1998 and was quickly replaced by Pan Am III.

History

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In September 1996, Pan Am II was started with an Airbus A300 named the Clipper Fair Wind. The goal was to provide low-cost, long-distance travel to major U.S. and Caribbean cities. The new airline was led by the last Vice Chairman and Chief Operations Officer of Pan Am, Martin Shugrue, who also helped in the creation of the WorldPass frequent flyer program and who served as President of Continental Airlines and later trustee of the Eastern Air Lines estate.[citation needed]

In September 1997, Pan Am Corporation, the airline operation's holding company, bought Carnival Air Lines. However, the rapid expansion and economic troubles of the two companies were too much for the new Pan Am—it only survived for two years before declaring bankruptcy. Before Pan Am and Carnival could fully merge, the holding company and its two independently operated airlines, Pan Am and Carnival, filed bankruptcy and ceased scheduled flight operations in February 1998. The operating certificate used for the first reincarnated Pan Am was abandoned in favor of the acquired Carnival's operating certificate. Pan Am, now operating with the Carnival certificate, quickly resumed limited charter operations while new owner Guilford Transportation Industries acquired certain assets of the bankrupt companies after court approval. The company emerged from bankruptcy in June 1998 again as Pan American Airways, the third incarnation of the Pan Am brand.[citation needed]

Destinations

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A Pan American Airbus A300B4 parked at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in 1998
A Pan American Boeing 737-400 approaching Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in 1998

In 1997, Pan American Airways served the following destinations:[4]

Fleet

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According to online data sources, Pan Am operated the following aircraft:[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pan Am Returns To Air Thursday". New York Times. 24 September 1996. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. ^ McDowell, Edwin (25 September 1996). "The new Pan Am is rolling out an unusual frequent-flier program with an old name". New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Ostrowski, Jeff. "Codina, Swerdlow set sights on Sawgrass Mills." South Florida Business Journal. Friday March 28, 1997. Retrieved on May 23, 2009.
  4. ^ "Pan Am December 16, 1997 Route Map".
  5. ^ "Pan American Airways Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved December 27, 2020.