Standard Air Lines
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Aero Corporation of California |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Founder | Jack Frye, Paul E. Richter, Walter A. Hamilton |
| Fate | Acquired by Western Air Express in March 1930 |
Area served | Southwestern United States |
Key people | Jack Frye (founder and active pilot) |
| Products | Passenger and express air services |
Standard Air Lines was established in 1927 by Jack Frye, Paul E. Richter, and Walter A. Hamilton, who had previously founded Aero Corporation of California in 1926. That same year, Standard became a subsidiary under Aero.
History
Standard Air Lines functioned as a carrier for U.S. Air Mail and offered passenger flights throughout the Southwestern United States, connecting cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso.
Operations commenced on November 28, 1927, marking it as Arizona's inaugural scheduled air service provider for both inter- and intrastate routes. By 1929, the airline introduced a rail connection at El Paso to facilitate further travel eastward by train, establishing the first consistent transcontinental rail-air passenger corridor linking California.
Initially, the airline ran passenger and express services three times weekly between Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Tucson. Its fleet consisted of two Fokker planes (NC7713 and NC8011) alongside seven OX5-powered Eaglerock aircraft. During its first month, Standard transported 61 passengers.
Departures from Los Angeles occurred on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PT), arriving in Phoenix by 3:30 PM Mountain Time (MT) and Tucson by 5:00 PM MT. Return flights left Tucson on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 8:00 AM MT, reaching Phoenix at 9:25 AM MT and Los Angeles at 1:30 PM PT.
Ticket prices were set at $47.50 for Los Angeles to Phoenix, $60 for Los Angeles to Tucson, and $12.50 between Phoenix and Tucson. Express shipping fees per pound were $1.30 (Los Angeles-Phoenix), $1.60 (Los Angeles-Tucson), and $0.50 (Phoenix-Tucson).
Subsequently, Standard broadened its route system with Los Angeles as its western endpoint and El Paso as the eastern terminus, serving key stops including Phoenix, Tucson, and Douglas.
On August 4, 1929—eight months prior to its acquisition—Standard became the western leg of a combined transcontinental air-rail itinerary. Passengers traveled by train from New York to St. Louis, then boarded a Southwest Air Fast Express Ford Trimotor flight to Sweetwater, Texas, followed by an overnight train dubbed "The Texan" to El Paso. From there, Standard Air Lines provided onward service to Los Angeles. This integrated route shortened coast-to-coast travel duration to around 43 hours and 40 minutes, trimming approximately 16 hours compared to an all-train journey.
Advertisements
The carrier promoted itself as "The Fair Weather Route," emphasizing the picturesque desert landscapes visible below during flights. Advertisements indicated that the flight from Los Angeles to El Paso took approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes.
Acquisitions
After operating for roughly two and a half years, founder and active pilot Frye sold Standard Air Lines to Western Air Express in March 1930 amid the economic challenges of the Great Depression. Following this transaction, Frye joined Western Air Express's Board of Directors and assumed the role of Chief of Operations.
Later that year, Western Air Express merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to create T&WA (which later became TWA). Frye was appointed president of T&WA in 1934, with Richter serving as Vice President. This airline gained recognition as "The Airline Run by Flyers."