note
West Coast Airlines was formed on March 14 1941 in Seattle Washington. Scheduled service commenced on May 22 1946 between Seattle and Portland Oregon using Douglas DC-3s. WCA held Air Mail 77 contract. CAB awarded its new regional or 'feeder' airline certificate to Empire Air Lines based in Boise, Idaho in 1946. Empire merged with West Coast Air in August 1952 to form West Coast Empire Airlines. Empire was later dropped from the name. Both airlines networks merged giving West Coast Air coverage from Washington state and Oregon to Idaho, Montana and Utah and Jackson in Wyoming. Airlines fleet of DC-3s needed to be replaced because many airports served had inadequate runways giving the high altitude, mountainous terrain and high temperatures in the summer. West Coast Air introduced Fairchild F-27 in September 1958 becoming first operator of the type. By the late 1960's airline was flying as south as San Francisco and north to Calgary and Salt Lake City. In September 1966 first pure jet a DC-9 was put into service. Airline also utilized Piper Navajos on its Sun Valley, Idaho routes. In April 1968 West Coast Air merged with another two regional airlines Pacific Air Lines of San Francisco and Bonanza Air Lines of Phoenix both of which were also Fairchild F-27 operators to form Air West.
founded - demised (age)
March 14 1941 - April 17 1968 (27)
headquarters
, Seattle
web
base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
