The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-10-27
Is Affiliates
Help Serve
Broad Area
ASSOCIATED COMPAN.
les GIVEN TECHNICAL
FINANCIAL ASSIST
ANCE

Always, hemisphere LINKING
aerial network in the past two
decades has been. the develop
noent of is affiliated companie.
lin Latin America to provide
similarly swift, efficient service
within the countries they serve
and to connect at key cities with
PAA's globe-girdling routes
When Pan American made it.
| first 90-mile flight between Key
tWest, Florida, and Havana
Cuba, October %, 1927, the Uni
ted States was at the bottom
ring of the world aviation lad
der. Domestic air service was
Just getting under way, where.
as Observation-Disclosures Eu.
ropean air transportation was 9
lfull-grown industry. Both the
Germans and the French had al
ready built up substantial sys.
TENS in Latin America.
The effect Of this service
was to enhance the advantage
Europe had always enjoyed in
communications with Latin
America and to bring this rich
trade area two weeks nearer
Europe than the United States.
In the course of its rapid ex-
pansion in Latin America, Par
American began acquiring inte-
rests in embryonic airlines in
various Latin American coun-
tries. Thorough technical and fl
nancial assistance, PAA helped
these companies strengthen
their position and expand their
operations.
Panagra Formed In 1929
The first move in this direc-
ton was in 1928 when a contract
for establishment of an airline
was arranged between PAA and
the Peruvian government. Grace
Line Steamship Company was
invited to take half interest
in the new company, and the
next year Pan Americana
Anyways (Panagra) came into
being. From that small begin
ming Panagra has. grown steadi-
~ into an imposing network
of 5000 route miles extending
from Panama down the west
coast of South America and
across the Andes to Buenos Air
Is.
The following year PAA ac-
CURED 100 per cent ownership of
Compania Mexicana de aviacion
tCMA), an airline organized in
1924. GINA had become - and
still is-the largest and most
important airline in Mexico.
With PAA assistance, it steadily
expanded,
In 1890 Pan American pur-
chased the equipment and as
sets of the Aires Line lNYRBA}
and acquired the stock of its
Brazilian subsidiary. Renamed
Panair do Brasil. this company
today is the largest airline in
Brazil. operating thousands of
miles of routes along the coast
and to the interior.
Backed by the u. S. State De-
rartment, PAA set out in 1910
to help Colombia develop a ma
tional airline jointly owned by
Pan American and the Colombo
an government. The result was
the national airline, Aerovias
Nacionales de Colombia avian
ca), officially organized in June,
1S4G, and now operating more
than 5000 route miles inside
Colombia, as. we'll as regularly
international flights to the Uni
ted States.
When it appeared in 1871 that
war was inevitable, PAA, with the
cooperation of Latin American
governments, succeeded in re-
placing all Axis-controlled air
services in Latin America. Among
those taken over at that time was
the Bolivian airline, Lloyd Aereo
Boliviano IAB).
2 Other Lines Acquired
Two other national companies
acquired by PAA in the early
years were Uraba, Medellin &
Central Anyways (UMCA) in Co.
lombia and Compania Guiana dc
Aviacion (Cubana) in Cuba
UMCA was organized by PAA ir
1881 to operate between Panama
and Medellin-a route it still
serves. Guiana, acquired in 1882
today operates more than 5000
miles of internal routes in Cuba
as well as routes to the United
States. Y
Pan American has lent financial
assistance and helped train per.
sonnet fol-. eight other nationa
airlines in Latin America. -Four
of these have been organized
since June, l945. Serving Mica
ragua. Honduras, Costa RIGA ane
Panama, respectively, they are
Lineas Aereas de Nicaragua (Ls
Nica), Servicio Aereo de Hondu
ras (SAHSA), Lineas Aereas Cos
taricenses GACSA), and Com
nania Pananaana de Auiaciox