TUESDAY IS TWA'S DAY

From Wikipedia:

Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline from 1924 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with Ford Trimotors. With American, United, and Eastern, it was one of the "Big Four" domestic airlines in the United States formed by the Spoils Conference of 1930.

Howard Hughes acquired control of TWA in 1939, and after World War II led the expansion of the airline to serve Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, making TWA a second unofficial flag carrier of the United States after Pan Am. Hughes gave up control in the 1960s, and the new management of TWA acquired Hilton International and Century 21 in an attempt to diversify the company's business.

As the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 led to a wave of airline failures, start-ups, and takeovers in the United States, TWA was spun off from its holding company in 1984. Carl Icahn acquired control of TWA and took the company private in a leveraged buyout in 1988. TWA became saddled with debt, sold its London routes, underwent Chapter 11 restructuring in 1992 and 1995, and was further stressed by the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

In 2001, TWA filed for a third and final bankruptcy and was acquired by American Airlines. American laid off many former TWA employees in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and closed its St. Louis hub in 2003.

TWA was headquartered at one time in Kansas City, Missouri, and planned to make Kansas City International Airport its main domestic and international hub, but abandoned this plan in the 1970s.[8] The airline later developed its largest hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Its main trans-Atlantic hub was the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, an architectural icon designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962.

For the full Wikipedia entry, click here.

'THE PATTY DUKE SHOW'

But while they were in operation, TWA used its influence to shore up their presence in Toobworld.  I think you would see TWA airliners more often than any other airline's planes whenever TV characters had to fly.

Here are a few episodes in which they played a role either within the storyline or behind the scenes:

"Bachelor Father: The Greggs in Paris (#4.20)" (1961) ... Transportation Furnished By
"Bachelor Father: The Greggs in London (#4.21)" (1961) ... Transportation Furnished By

"Perry Mason: The Case of the Woeful Widower (#7.23)" (1964) ... Aircraft

"Burke's Law: Deadlier Than the Male (#3.10)" (1965) ... Aircraft Supplied By

"Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Jet Set (#1.27)" (1965) ... Airline Sequences Filmed With The Cooperation Of

'THAT GIRL'

"That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion: Part Two (#4.12)" (1969) ... Transportation Arrangements And Promotional Consideration Provided By
"That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion (#4.13)" (1969) ... Transportation Arrangements And Promotional Consideration Provided By

"Kojak: Loser Takes All (#2.15)" (1974) ... Production Assistance

The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982) (TV) ... Some Airline Transportation Furnished By

Of course, nowadays it's more fun to use fictional airlines, especially if there's going to be trouble in the air.  I'm not sure if it hadn't been for 'Lost', Oceanic Airways might never have achieved membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

Just in case you were wondering how deeply I get into my Toobworld fantasy world, I do NOT believe that there's a picture of Wyatt Earp getting off a TWA plane seen above.  Even I know that it's a picture of Hugh O'Brian in costume.

Wyatt Earp traveled into the Future thanks to a trip in the TARDIS.......

Just idling on the runway here......