 | |
| Founded | 1939 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 1 August 1945 as a certificated carrier |
| Ceased operations | 1 April 1955 |
| Fleet size | 20 |
| Destinations | See below |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
Essair (short for Efficiency, Safety, and Speed in the Air[1]) was incorporated in 1939, the first airline authorized by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to fly as a local service carrier in the United States. Essair Lines changed its name to Pioneer Air Lines in 1946, and served destinations in New Mexico and Texas. Pioneer was acquired by and merged into Continental Airlines in 1955.
An unrelated commuter airline using the name Pioneer Airlines operated in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming during the late 1970s through 1980s with Beechcraft 99 and Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft.[2][3] Besides operating as an independent air carrier, this second version of Pioneer also provided feeder connecting flight services on behalf of Continental Airlines as a Continental Commuter air carrier at the Denver airport (DEN) via a code sharing agreement with Continental from 1983 through 1986.
- ^ Texas Historical Commission. "Major W. F. Long (1894-1976)". Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1981 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Denver flight schedules & July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Albuquerque flight schedules
- ^ https://www.departedflights.com, Aug. 1, 1983 & May 1, 1985 & Jan. 15, 1986 Pioneer Airlines route maps