1970’s were a glory era in Florida politically and economically. Tourism and job growth exploded while the economy diversified.

With visionary leaders like Governor Reubin Askew, the state projected an image of efficiency, smart growth, environmental consciousness and most of all paradise to the rest of the country.One company that benefited from Florida’s robust growth and in-turn was responsible for many of the tourist dollars spent in the state from across the US and Europe was the often forgotten National Airlines.

Miami based National Airlines, was the largest east-west carrier from the Florida and the second largest north-south carried from Florida (behind Eastern Airlines) prior to Airline Deregulation in 1978. Immediately, after deregulation two giant carriers both with a large Miami operations sought to purchase National. Eastern, which at the time was the 2nd largest airline in the free world was also based in Miami and was primarily a north-south carrier proposed to merge with National. The merger would have given Eastern the transcontinental routes it had long lacked and increased flights to Florida and Southeast.

Pan Am, which was forbidden from carrying domestic passengers prior to deregulation also sought a merger with National. Later in the game, Texas International owned by Frank Lorezno (who we are sure to to explore further as this site grows) upped the price for the airline so that when Pan Am finally bought the airline, it had overpaid dramatically.

Pan Am wanted National for its large domestic operation out of Miami, which was Pan Am’s primary hub for flights to Latin America (as it had been for PA’s Caribbean operation prior to the 1975 route swaps with American and TWA) as well as the feed NA could provide for Pan Am’s European and African ops from New York’s JFK Airport.

Below is National’s Florida nonstop schedule from the last timetable before the Pan Am merger.

 

FORT LAUDERDALE

To: Houston 3x daily
Los Angeles 1x daily
Miami 5x daily
New Orleans 1x daily
Newark 3x daily
New York-LaGuardia 6 x daily
Orlando 1x daily

20 daily departures

FORT MYERS

To: Miami 2x daily
New York-Kennedy 1x daily
Orlando 1x daily
Sarasota 1x daily
Tampa 2x daily

7 daily departures

JACKSONVILLE

To: Houston 1x daily
Miami 1x daily
New Orleans 1x daily
Norfolk 1x daily
Orlando 1x daily
Savannah 1x daily
Washington- National 1x daily

7 daily departures

MIAMI

To: Amsterdam 1x weekly
Fort Lauderdale 5x daily
Fort Myers 2x daily
Frankfurt 5x weekly
Houston 5x daily
Jacksonville 1x daily
London-Heathrow 1x daily
Los Angeles 4x daily
New Orleans 4x daily
Newark 2x daily
New York-Kennedy 3x daily
New York-LaGuardia 5x daily
Orlando 3x daily
Paris Orly 3x weekly
San Francisco 1x daily
San Juan 2x daily
Sarasota 1x daily
Tampa 5x daily
Washington-National 2x daily
West Palm Beach 3x daily
Zurich 1x weekly

(Average) 48 daily departures

ORLANDO

To: Fort Lauderdale 1x daily
Fort Myers 1x daily
Houston 3x daily
Jacksonville 1x daily
Miami 2x daily
Newark 1x daily
New York-Kennedy 2x daily
Sarasota 1x daily
Washington-National 3x daily
West Palm Beach 1x daily

16 daily departures

PENSACOLA

To: Mobile 2x daily
New Orleans 2x daily

4 daily departures

SARASOTA/BRADENTON

To: Ft Myers 1x daily
Miami 1x daily
Newark 1x daily
New York-Kennedy 1x daily
Orlando 1x daily
Tampa 2x daily

7 daily departures

TAMPA/ST PETE

To: Amsterdam 1x weekly
Ft Myers 1x
Houston 3x daily
Los Angeles 2x daily
Miami 5x daily
New Orleans 3x daily
New York-LaGuardia 2x daily
New York-Kennedy 1x daily
Orlando 1x daily
Sarasota 2x daily
Washington-National 2x daily

(average) 21 daily departures

WEST PALM BEACH

To: Fort Lauderdale 2x daily
Miami 3x daily
Newark 1x daily
New York-LaGuardia 2x daily
New York-Kennedy 2x daily
Orlando 1x daily
Washington-National 3x daily

12 daily departures