Bonanza Air Lines

Bonanza Air Lines was a regional airline in operation from the 1945 to the 1960s, with routes in the Western United States.

The airline began scheduled operations in 1945 with a single-engine Cessna [ [http://www.nwa.com/corpinfo/upclose/1940.shtml Northwest Airlines nwa.com - About Northwest - NWA Up Close ] ] , with service between the Nevada communites of Las Vegas, Reno, Tonopah and Hawthorne. The airline grew to include routes in Arizona, Southern California and Southern Utah with the hub cities of Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Additionally, Bonanza was the only certificated airline to fly from Las Vegas to Reno. Fact|date=February 2007

History

The company was created in 1945 and based in Las Vegas and was know at the time as "'Bonanza Air Services in Las Vegas". The company was part of a Civil Aeronautics Authority effort to develop regional airlines called local service airlines. The headquarters was moved to Phoenix in 1966. [cite web |url= http://www.onlinenevada.org/bonanza_airlines |title= Bonanza Airlines |accessdate=2008-05-13 |date=2007-01-15|format= |work= ] [cite web |url= http://www.bonanzaairlines.com/history.html |title= Birth of Bonanza Airlines |accessdate=2008-05-13 |format= |work= ]

Bonanza Air Lines merged with Pacific Air Lines and West Coast Airlines to form Air West on July 1, 1968. Air West, later re-named Hughes Airwest, would ultimately be acquired by Republic Airlines in 1980, which later became part of Northwest Airlines. At the time of the merger, Bonanza operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Fokker F-27 aircraft.

Incidents and accidents

The airline suffered its only fatal incident on November 15, 1964 when Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114 crashed into a mountain south of Las Vegas, Nevada during poor weather. There were no survivors among the 26 passengers and three crew members.

External links

* [http://www.bonanzaairlines.com/ Bonanza Airlines Historical Website] - bonanzaairlines.com
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?&sort_order=year&airlinesearch=Bonanza%20Air%20Lines Photographs of Bonanza Air Lines planes] - airliners.net
* [http://www.airtimes.com/cgat/usa/bonanza/bl480201.jpgBonanza Air Lines timetable cover, showing Nevada destinations in February 1948] - airtimes.com
* [http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/bo1.htm Gallery of Bonanza Air Lines timetables] - timetableimages.com
* [http://www.airtimes.com/cgat/usa/bonanza/gal/blgal50.htm Gallery of Bonanza Air Lines timetables from the 1950s] - airtimes.com
* [http://www.williamdemarest.com/Hughes%20Airwest.htm Gallery of Bonanza Air Lines postcards] - williamdemarest.com
* [http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00358.html#series7 Bonanza Air Lines records] - lists artifact collection stored at the Minnesota Historical Society

References