History of Alaska Airlines

Old logo for Alaska Airlines

In the midst of the Great Depression, Mac McGee started the airline flying a three-seat airplane from Anchorage to Bristol Bay, Alaska. McGee's airline merged with Star Air Service in 1934. The airline changed its name to Alaska Airlines in 1944, becoming Alaska's largest airline after several mergers and purchases.

Using surplus military aircraft, Alaska operated charter flights around the world. Alaska participated in the 1948 Berlin airlift and Operation Magic Carpet, flying Jewish refugees to Israel in 1949. Alaska became the world's largest charter airline in the late 1940s.

Alaska started operations to Seattle and Portland from Anchorage and Fairbanks in 1951. In-flight movies were introduced in the late 1950s when Charlie Willis became CEO. Alaska introduced jet charter service to parts of the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The late 1960s saw Alaska flying to Sitka and merging with Alaska Coastal-Ellis and Cordova Airlines.

Alaska Airlines was on the edge of bankruptcy in the early 1970s when Ron Cosgrave took over as CEO, improving customer service and on-time flight performance. Despite deregulation of the airline industry in 1979, the airline continued to grow, serving Seattle and 10 Alaskan cities. The 1980s saw even more growth when Alaska started service to California and other destinations in the West, including Boise and Phoenix. Flights to Mexico were inaugurated in 1988. Alaska purchased Horizon and Jet America Airlines in 1985, becoming the Alaska Air Group.

Alaska continued to grow through the 1990s and 2000s, starting service to Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Newark, Orlando and Washington, D.C., as well as Hawaii and more Alaskan cities. The airline was the first to utilize the Internet, selling tickets and allowing passengers to check in online.