The last TWA flight arrived in STL this morning. A story whose headline is the title of this message may be found here:
http://www.stltoday.com/ (The full URL will wrap). The print edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch contains a chronology that I did not find in the web edition. Here's a brief synopsis in case anyone is interested:
1925-Western Air Express is incorporated.
1929-Transcontinental Air Transport offers N.Y.-L.A. service along a route laid out by Charles Lindbergh.
1930-TWA formed when WAE and TAT merge (TWA stands for Transcontinental and Western Air).
1931-TWA offers first air cargo in US (livestock from STL-EWR).
1939-Howard Hughes acquires control of TWA.
1950-Name change to Trans World.
1965-Hughes sells his entire stake.
1985-Corporate raider using other people's money acquires control.
1988-Same corporate raider sucks US$610,300,000 from TWA, of which he pockets US$439,000,000. In the process, US$539,700,000 is added to TWA's debt.
1991-Raider sells off most of TWA's most lucrative routes.
1992-First bankruptcy. More major routes sold.
1995-Second bankruptcy
1996-TWA announces best quarter since 1989 just hours before flight 800 takes off.
2001-Final bankruptcy.