Pan American World Airways, known from its founding until 1950 as
Pan American Airways and commonly known as
Pan Am, was the principal and largest international
air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between
Key West, Florida, and
Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of
jet aircraft,
jumbo jets, and
computerized reservation systems. It was also a founding member of the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline industry association. Identified by its blue globe logo ("The Blue Meatball"), the use of the word "
Clipper" in aircraft names and
call signs, and the white pilot uniform caps, the airline was a cultural icon of the 20th century. In an era dominated by
flag carriers that were wholly or majority government-owned, it was also the unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States. During most of the jet era, Pan Am's flagship terminal was the
Worldport located at
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
