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The airline was founded 13 July 1925 as Western Air Express. In 1930 it merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to become Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA).

From the 1940s to 1970s, TWA was one of only two U.S. airlines that flew to EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se (the other was Pan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States' principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in the late 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. An attempt was made to re). It established routes from Europe to AsiaThe continent of Asia is defined by subtracting Europe and Africa from the great land mass of Africa-Eurasia. The boundaries are vague, especially between Asia and Europe: Asia and Africa meet somewhere near the Suez Canal. The boundary between Asia and E during the 1950s and 1960s, flying its aircraft as far east as Hong KongThe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or Hong Kong (, pinyin: Xinggng, WG: Hsiang-kang, Cantonese IPA, Jyutping or Penkyamp: hoeng1 gong2, meaning Fragrant Harbour , is one of two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of Chi. In the Transpacific Route CaseThe Transpacific Route Case was a major administrative law case argued before the Civil Aeronautics Board for much of the 1960's. Before the case, the only U. airlines permitted to fly transpacific routes were Pan Am and Northwest Orient: Continental Airl of 1969For other uses, see Number 1969. For the movie, see 1969 (movie). Events January January 1 Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch purchases the largest selling British Sunday newspaper The News Of The World January 5 The Derry Riots leave over 100 people i, TWA was given authority to extend its route network across the Pacific OceanFor other meanings of pacific see pacific (disambiguation). The Pacific Ocean (from the Spanish Pacifico meaning peaceful is the world's largest body of water. It encompasses a third of the Earth's surface, having an area of 179. 7 million km² (69. 4 mill as well.

Hughes' growing eccentricities caused TWA to sue for his removal as chairman in 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease. Under new corporate management, the TWA Corporation expanded to purchase Hilton Hotels. By 1969, TWA's transatlantic operation was larger than Pan Am's.

However, airline deregulation hit TWA hard. The airline briefly considered selling itself to corporate raider Frank Lorenzo in the 1980s, but ended up selling to Carl Icahn in 1985. In 1992, the airline was declared bankrupt.

On July 17, 1996, the TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island in mid-air and crashed into the ocean, killing all 230 people on board.

After reorganizing as a primarily domestic carrier, with routes centered around hubs at St. Louis and New York, TWA announced a major fleet renewal in 1998, ordering 125 aircraft. However, financial problems began to resurface shortly afterward, and the company merged with American Airlines in April of 2001, flying its last flight on December 1.