Trans World Express (TWE) was the fully owned and certified regional carrier for

Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...

( TWA) and an airline

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

name for TWA's corporation. * Trans World Express - The formerly independent regional airline known as Ransome Airlines previously owned by Pan Am (PA) before its purchase by the Trans World Corporation for TWA. * TWE - the outsourced carriers flying as Trans World Express: ** Air Midwest ** Alpha Air ** Trans States Airlines ** Metro Air Northeast When

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

bought TWA, the regional airlines functioning under the Trans World Express "banner" became affiliated with American Airlines under the name and new banner air carrier branding

AmericanConnection AmericanConnection was an American flight connection service brand name for the spoke-hub of U.S. mainline carrier American Airlines, under which regional airline operator Chautauqua Airlines operated feeder flights for American Airlines at ...

. Trans World Express service at that time was being provided by Trans States Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines, and Corporate Airlines (later

RegionsAir RegionsAir was a 14 CFR Part 121 regional airline based out of the Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, USA. The hub airports for RegionsAir were Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CL ...

History

Until November 6, 1995, TWE, Inc., a wholly owned

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

of TWA, operated flights under the Trans World Express banner. This fully certificated airline, previously named and certificated as Ransome Airlines - Pan Am Express, was headquartered at Philadelphia Northeast Airport far from TWA's (

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

and ( STL) St Louis hubs. After that date, November 6, 1995, TWA

outsource Outsourcing is a business practice in which company, companies use external providers to carry out business processes that would otherwise be handled internally. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to ...

d all TWE operations to third-party "banner" airlines. Other airlines previously operating under the name and TWE "banner" included Resort Air and Metro Air Northeast. Most flights were from the Eastern Seaboard to New York's

or from the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

to Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport. In 1993, Alpha Air was operating Trans World Express service with Beechcraft 1900C turboprops from a hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with service to Burbank (BUR),

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

(GCN),

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...

(TVL), Mammoth Lakes (MMH), Palm Springs (PSP), Phoenix (PHX) and Santa Ana/ Orange County Airport (SNA, now John Wayne Airport).

Fleet

The following aircraft were contracted and operating in the TWExpress system at the time of TWA's merger with American Airlines and the TWExpress brand was discontinued: * Embraer ERJ-145 * ATR-72 * ATR-42 * Jetstream 41 * Jetstream 31/32 Other aircraft that appeared in TWE colors included: * Beechcraft 1900C * Saab 340 * de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 *

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. Built by De Havilland Canada from 1965 to 1988, Viking ...

* Fairchild Metro II/III * CASA C-212 Aviocar * EMB-120 Brasilia

Destinations at closure

Trans World Express, via flights operated by Trans States Airlines, Corporate Airlines and Chautauqua Airlines, was serving the following destinations when the Trans World Express code share service was halted:

Canada

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

* Toronto ( Lester B. Pearson International Airport)

United States

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

* Bentonville/ Fayetteville ( Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport)

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

* Bloomington/ Normal ( Central Illinois Regional Airport) * Champaign/ Urbana ( University of Illinois Willard Airport) * Decatur ( Decatur Airport) * Marion ( Williamson County Regional Airport) * Moline ( Quad City International Airport) * Peoria ( Greater Peoria Regional Airport) * Quincy ( Quincy Regional Airport) * Springfield ( Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport)

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

* Evansville ( Evansville Regional Airport) *

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...

( Fort Wayne International Airport) *

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

(

Indianapolis International Airport Indianapolis International Airport is an international airport located southwest of Downtown Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority, and the airport serves over 5 ...

) *

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

( South Bend Regional Airport)

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

* Burlington ( Southeast Iowa Regional Airport) *

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

( The Eastern Iowa Airport) * Sioux City ( Sioux Gateway Airport) * Waterloo ( Waterloo Regional Airport)

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

area ( Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport) * Lexington ( Blue Grass Regional Airport) * Owensboro ( Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport) * Paducah ( Barkley Regional Airport)

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

* Shreveport ( Shreveport Regional Airport)

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

( Gerald R. Ford International Airport)

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

* Rochester ( Rochester International Airport)

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

* Jackson ( Jackson-Evers International Airport)

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

* Cape Girardeau ( Cape Girardeau Regional Airport) * Columbia ( Columbia Regional Airport) * Fort Leonard Wood ( Waynesville Regional Airport at Forney Field) * Joplin, Missouri, Joplin (Joplin Regional Airport) * Kirksville, Missouri, Kirksville (Kirksville Regional Airport) * Springfield, Missouri, Springfield/Branson, Missouri, Branson (Springfield-Branson National Airport) * St. Louis (Lambert-St. Louis International Airport) Hub Nebraska * Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln (Lincoln Airport (Nebraska), Lincoln Airport) Ohio (for Cincinnati, see Kentucky) * Dayton, Ohio, Dayton (Dayton International Airport) South Carolina * Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston (Charleston International Airport) * Greenville, South Carolina, Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg (Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport) Tennessee * Jackson, Tennessee, Jackson (McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport) * Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville (McGhee Tyson Airport) * Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis (Memphis International Airport) * Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville (Nashville International Airport) Wisconsin * Madison, Wisconsin, Madison (Dane County Regional Airport)

Previous destinations

;United States Alabama * Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham (Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham International Airport) Arizona *

(Grand Canyon National Park Airport) * Phoenix (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport)

* Fort Smith, Arkansas, Fort Smith (Fort Smith Regional Airport) * Harrison, Arkansas, Harrison (Boone County Airport (Arkansas), Boone County Regional Airport) * Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock (Clinton National Airport) California * Burbank (now Hollywood-Burbank Airport) * Inyokern, California, Inyokern (Inyokern Airport) *

(Lake Tahoe Airport) * Los Angeles ( Los Angeles International Airport) - Hub (at the time of the acquisition of Trans World Airlines by American Airlines in 2001, both TWA and Trans World Connection operated by American Eagle (airline brand), American Eagle were serving Los Angeles. TWA North America Destinations
" ''Trans World Airlines''TWConnection West Coast Routes
" ''

'' Alpha Air earlier served LAX as Trans World Express.) * Mammoth Lakes (Mammoth Yosemite Airport) * Oxnard, California, Oxnard (Oxnard Airport) * Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs (Palm Springs International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Palm Springs ) * Palmdale, California, Palmdale (LA/Palmdale Regional Airport) * Santa Ana/Orange County, California, Orange County Airport (now John Wayne Airport) (at the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection operated by American Eagle (airline brand), American Eagle served Orange County. Alpha Air earlier served Orange County Airport as Trans World Express.) Connecticut * Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford (Bradley International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served Hartford TWConnection East Coast Routes
," ''

'')

* Chicago, Illinois, Chicago (Midway Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 the mainline airline served nearby O'Hare International Airport in Chicago )

* Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville (Louisville International Airport, Standiford Field) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 the mainline airline served Louisville ) Maine * Portland, Maine, Portland (Portland International Jetport) Maryland * Baltimore (Baltimore-Washington International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served Baltimore ) Massachusetts * Boston (Logan International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served Boston )

* Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Lake of the Ozarks (Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport) New Hampshire * Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) New York (state), New York * Albany, New York, Albany (Albany International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Albany ) * Binghamton, New York, Binghamton (Greater Binghamton Airport) * Buffalo, New York, Buffalo (Buffalo Niagara International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Buffalo ) * Ithaca, New York, Ithaca (Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport) * New York City (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served New York City ) **

- Hub ** LaGuardia Airport - Hub * Newburgh (city), New York, Newburgh (Stewart International Airport) * Rochester, New York, Rochester (Greater Rochester International Airport) Trans World Express service begins in Rochester; Ribbon cutting ceremony will commemorate launch of new service.
" ''M2 Presswire'' (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Rochester ) * Syracuse, New York, Syracuse (Syracuse Hancock International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Syracuse ) Pennsylvania * Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg (Harrisburg International Airport) * Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served Pittsburgh ) * Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport) Rhode Island * Providence, Rhode Island, Providence (T. F. Green Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 Trans World Connection served Providence ) Virginia * Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach/Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg (Norfolk International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 the mainline airline served Norfolk ) * Richmond, Virginia, Richmond (Richmond International Airport) (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 the mainline airline served Richmond ) * Washington, DC area (At the time of TWA's end in 2001 both the mainline airline and Trans World Connection served Washington, DC )

References

External links

{{Airlines of the United States Defunct airlines of the United States Defunct regional airline brands Trans World Airlines