Essair Airlines, incorporated in 1939, was the first airline authorized to fly as a local service carrier in the USA. It changed its name to Pioneer Airlines in 1946 and merged with Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...

 in 1955.

Background

As airlines became more reliable, remote small communities demanded their own airline service. One of the first of this new type of airline was Essair, of Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. Originally incorporated in 1939, Essair began a temporary service between Houston and Amarillo, via Abilene. On July 11, 1944, the Civil Aeronautics Board formally agreed that an experiment in providing short-haul and local scheduled air service should be conducted. The experiment involved the establishment of a new airline category, known as "feeder" or "local service" carriers. On August 1, 1945, Essair became the first airline to fly under the new classification, operating with a temporary certificate. In 1953, Pioneer Airlines was merged into Continental Airlines, contributing to the formation of a sizeable regional airline in the U.S. southwest.

External links

• President Johnson Letter regarding ""Order Denying Petition for Rehearing, Reargument and Reconsideration"
• Ed Coates' Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection