Empire Airlines (1944–1952)

Last updated
Empire Airlines
Founded1944
Ceased operations1952
Operating bases Lewiston, Idaho
Focus cities Boise, Idaho
Spokane, Washington
HeadquartersLewiston, Idaho
Key peopleBert Zimmerly, President
A DC-3 Operated by Empire Airlines at Boise, Idaho in 1952 EmpireDC-3n62376 (4407526719).jpg
A DC-3 Operated by Empire Airlines at Boise, Idaho in 1952

Empire Airlines was an airline that was founded in July 1944 by Bert Zimmerly at Lewiston, Idaho. [1] The founder had formerly been operating Zimmerly Airlines, a commercial charter service that had been operating since 1943. [1] Empire Airlines was inactive until early in 1946, when it purchased the assets of Zimmerly Airlines, including ten Boeing 247 aircraft. [1] [2] Starting as an intrastate airline in Idaho, it operated daily round trip service between Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Pocatello, Idaho with four intermediate stops. [2] The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) granted temporary permission to the airline to offer interstate feeder lines between Spokane, Washington and locations in Idaho and eastern Oregon. [3]

In 1952, the CAB approved the sale of Empire Airlines to West Coast Airlines for about $500,000 (equivalent to $2,600,000in 2023). [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewiston, Idaho</span> City in Idaho, United States

Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the third-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, and the twelfth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez Perce County and Asotin County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lewiston was 34,203, up from 31,894 in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hughes Airwest</span> Defunct regional airline of the United States (1968–1980)

Hughes Air Corporation, doing business as Hughes Airwest, was a regional airline from 1970 to 1980 in Western United States. It was backed by Howard Hughes' Summa Corporation. Its original name in 1968 was Air West and the air carrier was owned by Nick Bez. Hughes Airwest flew routes in the western U.S. and to several destinations in Mexico and Canada; its headquarters were on the grounds of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in unincorporated San Mateo County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise Airport</span> Civil/military airport in Boise, Idaho, U.S.

Boise Airport is a joint civil-military airport in the western United States in Idaho, three miles (5 km) south of downtown Boise in Ada County. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation, overseen by an airport commission. The busiest airport in the state, it serves more passengers than all other Idaho airports combined and roughly ten times as many passengers as the next busiest airport at Idaho Falls.

Empire Airlines is a passenger and cargo airline based in Hayden, Idaho, near Coeur d'Alene. It operates over 120 scheduled cargo flights a day in 18 US states and Canada. Empire also started passenger service within Hawaii, under the name "Ohana by Hawaiian", which was run from 2014-2021. Its main base is Coeur d'Alene Airport with a hub at Spokane International Airport. The company slogan is We Can Do That.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borah High School</span> Public school in Boise, Idaho, U.S.

Borah High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho, one of four traditional high schools in the Boise School District. It serves students in grades 10–12 in the southwest portion of the district. It is named after William Borah(1865–1940), a prominent U.S. Senator and a presidential candidate in 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard B. Jordan</span> American politician

Leonard Beck Jordan was an American politician who served as the 23rd governor of Idaho and a United States Senator for over ten years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport</span> Airport

Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport is a public airport in the northwest United States, in north-central Idaho. Owned by the city of Lewiston and Nez Perce County, it is in an elevated area of the city two miles (3 km) south of downtown, approximately 700 vertical feet (210 m) above the Snake and Clearwater rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Valley Regional Airport</span> Airport

Magic Valley Regional Airport, also known as Joslin Field, is a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) south of the central business district of Twin Falls, Idaho. The airport is owned by the City and County of Twin Falls. It is mostly used for general aviation but is also served by one commercial airline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport</span> Airport in Whitman County, Washington

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport is a public airport in the northwest United States, located in Whitman County, Washington, two miles (3 km) east of Pullman, Washington and four miles (6 km) west of Moscow, Idaho. The airport is accessed via spurs from State Route 270, and has a single 7,101-foot (2,164 m) runway, headed northeast–southwest (5/23), which entered service in October 2019. The former runway (6/24) was 6,730 feet (2,051 m) and aligned with Moscow Mountain twelve miles (20 km) to the northeast, the highest summit in the area.

West Coast Airlines was an airline linking small cities in the Pacific Northwest with larger cities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana, California and north to Alberta in Canada. It was headquartered in the Westlake area of Seattle, Washington.

Lyle Hilton Smith was an American football and basketball player, coach, and college athletics administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain West Airlines-Idaho</span>

Mountain West Airlines-Idaho was a short-lived commuter airline based in Boise, Idaho. Its motto was "Nobody knows the Mountain West like we do!"

The 1971 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Lled by second-year head coach Don Robbins, the Vandals played the final three of their five home games at the new Idaho Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

The 1952 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1952 college football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Raymond A. Curfman and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one game in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.

The 1947 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1947 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Dixie Howell, and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at Neale Stadium, with one game in Boise at Public School Field. The Vandals were 4–4 overall and 1–4 in conference play.

The 1951 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Raymond A. Curfman, the Vandals were 2–7. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one game in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College and another at Memorial Stadium in Spokane, Washington.

The 1949 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1949 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Dixie Howell and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one game in Boise, a final time at Public School Field.

The 1946 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1946 college football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach James A. Brown and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with none held in Boise this season.

The 1932 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1932 college football season. The Vandals were led by fourth-year head coach Leo Calland, and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Two home games were played on campus in Moscow at MacLean Field, with one in Boise at Public School Field.

The 1920 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1920 college football season. Idaho was led by first-year head coach Thomas Kelley in their penultimate season as an independent before joining the Pacific Coast Conference in 1922. The Vandals had one home game in Moscow on campus at MacLean Field, with one in Boise at the state fairgrounds.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Empire Airlines Soon to Start". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. 30 July 1946. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 "Empire Buys 10 Zimmerly Airline Ships". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. 1 March 1946 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Empire Airlines of Lewiston Gains Permit to Run Spokane-Boise Feeder Line". Spokane Chronicle. 23 May 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Empire Airlines Merger With West Coast Okehed". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. Associated Press. 28 June 1952 – via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.