Pioneer Airlines
| Founded | 1939 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1955 |
| Fleet size |
Lockheed Model 10 Electras 23 Douglas DC-3s 9 Martin 2-0-2s |
| Destinations | See Pioneer Air Lines below |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
Essair Airlines, incorporated in 1939, was the first airline authorized by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to fly as a "local service" air carrier in the USA. It changed its name to Pioneer Air Lines in 1946 and served destinations in New Mexico and Texas. Pioneer and was acquired by and merged into Continental Airlines in 1955.
A commuter airline named "Pioneer Airlines" also operated in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming during the 1980s with Beechcraft 99 and Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft.
As airlines became more reliable, small communities demanded airline service. One of the first of this new type of airline was Essair, of Houston, Texas. Incorporated in 1939, Essair began a temporary service between Houston and Amarillo, via Abilene. On July 11, 1944 the Civil Aeronautics Board agreed that an experiment in subsidized short-haul and local scheduled air service should be conducted. The experiment involved the establishment of a new airline category, known as "feeder" or "local service" air carriers. On August 1, 1945, Essair became the first airline to fly under the new classification, with a temporary certificate. and operated Lockheed Model 10 Electra twin prop aircraft on its routes within Texas and New Mexico.
The airline's name became Pioneer Air Lines in 1946. The Electras were replaced by Douglas DC-3s with 23 of the type being used between 1946 and 1953. From June 1952, nine Martin 2-0-2 unpressurised airliners were operated by Pioneer after they were purchased from Northwest Airlines. Davies (and Killion) says the federal CAB forced Pioneer to revert to DC-3s in 1953; however, the February 1955 Official Airline Guide (OAG) was still listing several flights operated with the 36-seat Martin 2-0-2 "Pioneer Pacemaster" aircraft.
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