Allegheny Airlines

Allegheny Airlines
Company type	Local service carrier
Industry	Airline
Predecessor	All American Aviation Company (1939)
Founded	1939-03-07
Founder	Richard C. du Pont, Alexis Felix du Pont Jr.
Defunct	1979-10-28
Fate	Rebranded as USAir
Successor	USAir
Headquarters	Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Area served	Eastern United States, Canada
Products	Passenger air transport, mail transportation (initially)

Allegheny Airlines functioned as a local service carrier based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1952 until 1979, predominantly serving destinations throughout the Eastern United States. The airline eventually transformed into USAir, which was later rebranded as US Airways before merging with American Airlines. Its corporate headquarters were situated at Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia.

History

Originally established as the All American Aviation Company on March 7, 1939, by brothers Richard C. du Pont and Alexis Felix du Pont Jr. of the du Pont family, the enterprise initially concentrated on mail transportation.

Allegheny prior to 1979

In 1949, the company adopted the name All American Airways to signify its expansion into passenger services, subsequently becoming Allegheny Airlines in 1953. As a government-subsidized regional carrier, its revenue in 1962 reached $23.5 million, with $6.5 million derived from public service subsidies.

Between the mid-1950s and late 1970s, Allegheny broadened its route network within Pennsylvania and adjacent states, establishing significant hubs including Detroit (1956), Boston (1960), La Guardia (1964), Toronto (1967), Chicago and St. Louis (following the 1968 Lake Central acquisition), Montreal and Minneapolis (post-1972 Mohawk merger), Houston (1978), as well as destinations in Florida and Phoenix during 1978–79.

The airline’s fleet evolved from piston-engine aircraft to turboprops and jets: beginning with the Convair CV-540 in 1959, progressing to Fairchild F-27Js dubbed "Vistaliner," then Convair 580 turboprops known as "Vistacruiser" introduced in 1965. Jet service commenced with Douglas DC-9-10 aircraft in 1966, followed by DC-9-30 models ("Vistajet"), Boeing 727-100/200s, DC-9-50s, and BAC One-Eleven jets acquired through the Mohawk merger. Allegheny was a pioneer in establishing a regional feeder system through its Allegheny Commuter program launched in 1967.

To better position itself ahead of airline deregulation and expand its market presence, Allegheny rebranded as USAir on October 28, 1979.

Revenue passenger-miles (millions)
Year	Allegheny	Mohawk	Lake Central
1951	30	16	5
1955	56	49	17
1960	131	116	36
1965	289	348	95
1970	1683	566	(merged 1968)
1975	3272	(merged 1972)

USAir and US Airways

Following the transition to USAir, the Allegheny brand name persisted for its regional feeder operation Allegheny Commuter until it was renamed USAir Express in 1989. Throughout the USAir era—later known as US Airways—the parent company maintained ownership of the Allegheny trademark.

Suburban Airlines, based at Reading Airport in Pennsylvania, operated a substantial fleet of Short 330 and Short 360 aircraft and was notably the launch customer for the Short 360 model. The airline also flew three Fokker F27s and was the final U.S. passenger operator of this type. After modernizing its fleet by replacing many aircraft with de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprops and retiring the F27s, Suburban merged with Pennsylvania Airlines near Harrisburg International Airport. The combined carrier retained the Allegheny name until it merged with Piedmont Airlines, another wholly owned subsidiary of USAir. The resulting entity continued operations under the Piedmont Airlines brand.

Before and after these consolidations, Allegheny mainly utilized De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft to serve approximately 35 airports across the northeastern United States and Canada from hubs located in Boston and Philadelphia. In 2004, its Dash 8 operations were integrated into Piedmont Airlines.

As of October 2023, an American Airlines Airbus A321 (N579UW) sports an Allegheny retro paint scheme. Previously, an Airbus A319 (N745VJ) featured this vintage livery before reverting to standard American Airlines colors in March 2023. Additionally, US Airways operated aircraft adorned with retro Allegheny liveries during its existence.

Destinations

The following compilation details the cities Allegheny Airlines served up until October 1979, omitting any destinations from earlier periods. Throughout its operation, the airline connected to a wide range of locations, including Erie, Providence, and the Wyoming Valley.