Pan American World Airways

Pan American World Airways, known as Pan Am, was an American airline incorporated in 1927 and dissolved in December 1991. Over more than six decades it became one of the most widely recognized airlines in the world, and its name was at one time among the most recognized trademarks anywhere. It pioneered scheduled flights to Europe, Asia and South America, and under its founder-era leader Juan Trippe it pushed long-distance air travel and the technology needed for it, from flying boats such as the China Clipper to the Boeing 707 jetliner it helped commission. The company grew through mergers and acquisitions, including American Overseas Airlines in the early 1950s, and diversified into hotels, real estate and corporate jets, including the Pan Am Building dedicated in 1963. Overextension, heavy debt, fuel crises, the costly 1979 purchase of National Airlines, poor labor relations and ill luck eroded it, and the airline ceased operating in December 1991.