AIRWAYS HISTORY
30 A rare photo of Pacific Boeing 727 N2969G at Lake Tahoe ( TVL ). // WAYNE McPHERSON GOMES PHOTO VIA PROCTOR / LIVESEY / THOMAS COLLECTION
31 The new livery introduced with the Boeing 727s was also applied to Pacific ’ s F-27s . // DAVID H . STRINGER COLLECTION
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32 In April 1968 , Pacific Air Lines , West Coast Airlines , and Bonanza Air Lines merged to form Air West . This is Pacific ’ s final timetable . // DAVID H . STRINGER COLLECTION
33 F-27 N2779R , wearing the company ’ s final livery , was captured in this Terry Waddington photo . // PROCTOR / LIVESEY / THOMAS COLLECTION company ’ s name would be changed to Air West . Headquarters were to remain in San Francisco . The Civil Aeronautics Board gave its blessing and President Lyndon Johnson signed off on the merger because it involved international routes to Mexico ( Bonanza ) and Canada ( West Coast ).
Pacific , West Coast , and Bonanza joined together as a single airline , officially becoming Air West on April 17 , 1968 . The first integrated schedule of the three airlines was issued on July 1 . Three of America ’ s permanently certificated local service carriers had just disappeared .
Two years later , airline investor and noted recluse Howard Hughes bought a controlling interest in the company and renamed it Hughes Airwest .
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72 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023 www . airwaysmag . com