View source for America West Airlines

{{Short description|Defunct airline of the United States (1981–2007)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = America West Airlines
| logo = America West Airlines Logo, October 1998.svg
| logo_size = 
| image = 280bb - America West Airlines Airbus A319-132, N827AW@LAX,02.03.2004 - Flickr - Aero Icarus.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = An America West [[A319-100]]
| IATA = HP
| ICAO = AWE
| callsign = CACTUS
| founded = {{start date|1981|02|}}<ref name="NAAH">{{cite book| last1=Norwood| first1=Tom| last2=Wegg| first2=John| title=North American Airlines Handbook| publisher=Airways International| location=Sandpoint, Idaho| year=2002| edition=3rd| isbn=978-0965399388| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIwBAAAACAAJ&q=editions:v49j8J35QccC| access-date=November 4, 2020| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| commenced = {{start date|1983|08|01}}<ref name="NAAH" />
| ceased = {{end date|2007|09|25}}<br />{{small|(merged into [[US Airways]])}}
| aoc = 
| bases = 
| hubs = {{nowrap|[[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor]]}}
| secondary_hubs = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  | [[John Glenn Columbus International Airport|Columbus–Glenn]] {{small|(1993–2003)}}
  | [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas]]}}
| focus_cities = 
| frequent_flyer = FlightFund
| alliance = 
| subsidiaries = {{nowrap|[[America West Express]] {{small|(1985–2007)}}}}
| fleet_size = 
| destinations = 
| parent = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  | [[America West Holdings]] {{small|(1981–2005)}}
  | [[US Airways Group]] {{small|(2005–2007)}}}}
| headquarters = [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]], [[Arizona]], [[United States]]
| founder = 
| founders = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  | [[Ed Beauvais]] (First [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
  | Mark Beauvais
  | Don Neilson
  | Michael Roach }}
| key_people = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  | [[Bill Franke]]
  | [[Doug Parker (airline executive)|Doug Parker]]}}
| website = 
}}

'''America West Airlines''' was an airline in the [[United States]] that operated from 1981 until it merged with [[US Airways]] in 2007. It was headquartered in [[Tempe, Arizona]]. Its main hub was at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]], with secondary hubs at [[Harry Reid International Airport]] in [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]] and [[John Glenn Columbus International Airport]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]]. The airline merged with [[US Airways]] in 2005 and adopted US Airways as their brand name.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051901972.html| title=US Airways To Merge, Move Base To Arizona| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| first=Keith L.| last=Alexander| date=May 20, 2005| access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> America West served about 100 cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico; flights to Europe were on [[code share|codeshare]] partners. In September 2005, the airline had 140 aircraft, with a single maintenance base at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]]. Regional jet and turboprop flights were operated on a [[code sharing]] basis by [[Mesa Airlines]] and [[Chautauqua Airlines]] as [[America West Express]].

Beginning in January 2006, all America West flights were branded as US Airways, along with most signage at airports and other printed material, though many flights were described as "operated by America West." Apart from two heritage aircraft, the only remaining America West branding on aircraft were found on some seat covers and bulkheads. The merged airline used America West's "CACTUS" [[Airline codes#Call signs (flight identification or flight ID)|callsign]] and ICAO code "AWE", but retained the [[US Airways]] name. As part of a merger between [[American Airlines]] and US Airways in February 2013,<ref>{{cite news| title=State Attorneys General Join Probe Of American Airlines, U.S. Airways Merger| first1=Diane| last1=Bartz| first2=Karen| last2=Jacobs| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/american-airlines-us-airways-merger_n_3530531.html| newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]]| date=July 1, 2013| access-date=July 1, 2013}}</ref> which led to American becoming the world's largest airline, the call sign and ICAO code name was later retired on April 8, 2015, when the FAA granted a single operating certificate for both US Airways and American Airlines.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/2015/04/11/us-airways-american-cactus-call-sign-is-history/25622473/| title='Cactus' call sign fades into US Airways history| first=Dawn| last=Gilbertson| work=The Arizona Republic| location=Phoenix| date=April 10, 2015}}</ref> The US Airways brand continued until October 17, 2015, when it merged with American Airlines.

==History==
[[File:America West Dash 8-100.jpg|thumb|left|[[de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8]] series 100 in 1991]]
The airline was established in February 1981 and began operations August 1, 1983, using three leased [[Boeing 737]]s flying out of its base in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] (PHX), with [[Ed Beauvais]], a well-known airline industry consultant, as CEO.<ref name=funding1/> In the early years, passengers could purchase their tickets on the aircraft.

The airline quickly expanded, with 11 737s flying to 13 cities; in 1984, America West's fleet grew to 21 aircraft flying to 23 cities. The June 1984 timetable shows 71 weekday departures from Phoenix, non-stop to 18 cities; from 1985 to 1986, it established a second hub at Las Vegas.<ref>[http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/hp1.htm Timetable maps showing America West routes in 1983, 1984, and 1991]</ref>

Confident in its expansion, the increasingly-dominant carrier at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix Sky Harbor]] influenced the development of Terminal 4. America West requested that the construction include an auxiliary power facility and an underground cavity to accommodate a future rail station, to which the airport ultimately agreed.<ref>{{cite book| title=Up, Up And Away, From The Beginning to My Journey's End 1981-1992| last=Beauvais| first=Ed| publisher=Ed Beauvais| year=2016| isbn=978-0-692-45268-4| location=Scottsdale, AZ| page=28}}</ref>

America West was one of the first airlines to use extensive "cross-utilization", in which employees were trained in a variety of airline jobs, such as pilots trained in dispatch, and both [[baggage handler]]s and [[flight attendants]] trained as gate agents. America West started as a "full-service" airline, in contrast with [[Southwest Airlines]], a discount air carrier competing in many markets. America West used an aggressive employee stock-ownership program, in which new employees were required to invest 20% of their salary in company stock, providing a steady flow of cash as the company grew. America West pilots and other employees were paid wages far below those of competitors<ref>[http://web.mit.edu/airlinedata/www/2010%2012%20Month%20Documents/Employees%20and%20Compensation/Pilots/Average%20Annual%20Wages%20and%20Salaries%20-%20PILOT%20AND%20CO-PILOT%20PERSONNEL.htm Pilot salary history, MIT Study]</ref>{{Rail freight
|title=Revenue Passenger-Kilometers, in millions
|1984|2006
|1985|3675
|1990|17869
|1995|21420
|2000|30753
|2005|39036
|source=''Air Transport World''}}
[[File:Former America West Airlines logo.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|Former logo]]

By 1985 America West had outgrown their gate space at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]] and during the construction of Terminal 4, approved in 1986, a temporary concourse was added to the southwest corner of Terminal 3 to give them six more gates (growing to eleven by 1990).

The airline's growth continued in 1986 and the airline expanded its fleet, mainly with [[Boeing 757-200]]s purchased from [[Northwest Airlines]] (following Northwest's acquisition of [[Republic Airlines]]) and a number of [[de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8]]s. (Unusually, the Dash 8 flights were not code-shares and Mesa code-shares replaced them in 1992–93.) The airline started [[red-eye flight]]s from Las Vegas to improve aircraft utilization.

[[File:America West Boeing 747-200 Maiwald-1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boeing 747-200]] at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix Sky Harbor]] in 1991]]
[[File:America West Boeing 737-300 at Adelaide Airport.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boeing 737-300]] at [[Adelaide Airport]], [[Australia]] in 1989, during the [[1989 Australian pilots' dispute|Australian pilot's dispute]]]]

America West's rapid growth led to large losses and by 1986 the company was on the verge of [[bankruptcy]]. Originally slated to occupy the vast majority of the gates in Terminal 4, the airline had to reduce their commitment to the city of Phoenix to just 28 gates, with the growing Southwest Airlines agreeing to lease the remainder of Terminal 4.

In June 1987 [[Ansett Transport Industries]] purchased a 20% stake in America West, increasing it to 26% in April 1991.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118298758 Ansett gets 20pc of American airline] ''[[Canberra Times]]'' June 19, 1987, page 14.</ref><ref name=Ansett>{{cite book| title=The Story of the Rise and Fall of Ansett 1936-2002| year=2002| publisher=Stewart Wilson Aerospace Publications| location=Fyshwick| isbn=978-1875671571| pages=19, 21, 34, 37, 38}}</ref>

In 1988, Patrick Thurston, Vice-President of Operations, Bob Russell, Chief of Pilots, and Carl Wobser, a captain, all pleaded guilty to multiple counts of narcotics trafficking.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.apfn.net/dcia/narco.html|title=The Phoenix-Bangkok Heroin Connection| first=Brian Downing| last=Quig| date=September 1, 1991| journal=Monetary and Economic Review| access-date=December 20, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055428/http://www.apfn.net/dcia/narco.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Three America West Airlines aircraft operated services in Australia with [[Ansett Australia]] during the [[1989 Australian pilots' dispute]].<ref name=Ansett/>

[[File:America West 737-112.jpg|thumb|[[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-112]] at [[San Jose International Airport]] in 1993]]
As they explored destinations beyond the United States, America West filed with [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]] for a Phoenix to [[Sydney Airport|Sydney]] route to connect with [[Ansett Australia|Ansett Airlines]] in Australia. The proposal was rejected and the [[Reagan Administration]] awarded the route to another airline. In 1989, America West leased four [[Boeing 747-200]]s (formerly operated by [[KLM]]) and began non-stop 747 flights between Phoenix and [[Honolulu Airport|Honolulu, Hawaii]], and non-stop between Honolulu and [[Nagoya Airfield|Nagoya, Japan]]. The 747 was the only wide-body aircraft America West used for long-haul flights. The airline also expanded narrow-body jet service to [[Mexico|Mexican]] destinations.

In 1990, America West moved into the new Terminal 4 at Phoenix and took delivery of several [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]]s originally destined for now-defunct [[Braniff (1983-1990)|Braniff Airways]]. Braniff had purchased the order rights from [[Pan Am]], another troubled carrier, and the A320s were sold to America West at a steep discount. Annual revenue reached a billion dollars, the threshold for the Department of Transportation to categorize America West as a [[major carrier|major airline]].<ref name=funding1>{{cite web| url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/America-West-Holdings-Corporation-Company-History.html| title=America West Holdings Corporation| access-date=August 23, 2008| website=Funding Universe| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006010506/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/America-West-Holdings-Corporation-Company-History.html| archive-date=October 6, 2008| url-status=dead}}</ref> The July 1990 timetable shows 182 weekday departures from Phoenix non-stop to 46 airports and 132 departures from Las Vegas to 39 airports. (24 LAS departures were between midnight and 01:40.)

The airline continued to lose money: operating expenses at Terminal 4 were far higher than in the temporary Terminal 3 concourse; the Nagoya route carried almost no passengers; tensions before the [[Gulf War]] caused fuel costs to rise. America West filed for bankruptcy in June 1991.

In June 1995, [[Doug Parker|W. Douglas Parker]] joined America West as senior vice president and chief financial officer; he would be elected chairman, president and CEO in September 2001.<ref>{{cite magazine| title=How Doug Parker Has Transformed American Airlines| first=Jeff| last=Bounds| url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2015/july-august/doug-parker-american-airlines-ceo-entrepreneur-of-year/| magazine=[[D Magazine]]| date=July–August 2015}}</ref>  The airline was fined $2.5 million for maintenance violations in July 1998, and in August 2000 the FAA was reportedly prepared to ground the airline for these violations.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/15/us/america-west-airline-fined-2.5-million-for-violations.html| title=America West Airline Fined $2.5 Million for Violations| first=Matthew L.| last=Wald| date=July 15, 1998| page=A16| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96023&page=1| title=FAA May Ground America West| work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]| date=January 7, 2006}}</ref>

===Bankruptcy===
[[File:America West Airlines Boeing 737-300 and America West Express Beech 1900 Kennaugh.jpg|thumb|America West [[Boeing 737-300]] and [[America West Express]] [[Beechcraft 1900D]] at Sky Harbor (1995)]]

America West operated under bankruptcy from 1991 to 1994; as part of the restructuring, employee stock became worthless, the airline's 747s and Dash8s were sold and the fleet was pared down to 87 aircraft. Hawaii and Nagoya routes were scrapped and America West feeder service to smaller cities and local markets was contracted to [[Mesa Airlines]], which began flying turboprops and regional jets as [[America West Express]].

On the management side, Founder [[Ed Beauvais]] was removed as CEO, remaining on the board of directors, and was replaced with Mike Conway, who had been with the airline since the start. Conway left the airline in 1994, replaced as CEO by A. Maurice Myers.

America West's flight attendants unionized in 1993, ending cross-utilization between [[Customer service representative|customer service agents]], flight attendants and ground agents. Several maintenance and training functions previously operated in-house by America West were outsourced during the bankruptcy.

===Reorganization===
[[File:America West A319.jpeg|thumb|America West Airlines [[Airbus A319]] departing [[Portland International Airport]]]]

In 1994, America West was finally able to secure a reorganization allowing it to come out of bankruptcy, with a large portion of the airline owned by a partnership including [[Mesa Airlines]] and [[Continental Airlines]], resulting in [[code sharing]] agreements with these airlines.

To help reinvigorate the airline as they emerged from bankruptcy, a number of changes occurred, including a new color scheme and logo (used until the merger with US Airways), new [[livery]], [[E-ticket]]s, and online ticket purchasing in 1996. The airline continued ordering Airbus A320s and began gradually retiring their older [[Boeing 737-200]]s.

In 1993, America West opened a hub at [[Port Columbus International Airport]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]], using [[Chautauqua Airlines]] and [[Mesa Airlines]] to provide commuter and regional flights via [[code sharing]] agreements in addition to mainline jets.   An ''America West Club'' was at the hub in an area previously used for a [[TWA]] Ambassadors' Club.

In late 2001, America West was the first airline to apply for and receive a loan from the [[Air Transportation Stabilization Board]].<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/po890.htm| title=Air Transportation Stabilization Board Conditionally Approves Application By America West| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908090113/http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/po890.htm| archive-date=September 8, 2008| date=December 28, 2001| publisher=Department of The Treasury}}</ref> As of April 2005, the remaining balance on the loan was $300 million. The ATSB loan and its guarantees were paid back by US Airways and the debt refinanced by other lenders during the merger.<ref>[http://www.globalspec.com/reference/19171/121073/us-air-uses-cash-to-buy-back-atsb-stock US Air Uses Cash To Buy Back ATSB Stock]''[[Aviation Week]]''  October 2005. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313143956/http://www.globalspec.com/reference/19171/121073/us-air-uses-cash-to-buy-back-atsb-stock |date=March 13, 2017 }}</ref>

On May 1, 2002, America West ended its partnership with Continental Airlines, citing low code-shared flight sales.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

In 2003, America West Airlines closed its Port Columbus hub, reducing scheduled daily flights from almost 50 to 4.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

===US Airways===
{{Main|America West Holdings Corporation#Merger with US Airways Group|l1=America West merger with US Airways}}
[[File:US Airways A320-231 SAN N632AW.jpg|thumb|An [[Airbus A320 family#A320|Airbus A320]] in the 2005-2015 America West / [[US Airways]] livery at [[San Diego International Airport]]]]
[[File:AmericaWestExpress.jpg|thumb|A traveler boards an [[America West Express]] [[Bombardier CRJ200#CRJ200|CRJ-200]] regional jet operated by [[Mesa Airlines]]]]

[[File:USAirways A319-132 PHX N828AW.jpg|thumb|A US Airways [[Airbus A319]] with America West livery at [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]]]]

In the second quarter of 2005, America West entered merger negotiations with then-bankrupt US Airways. It was structured as a purchase of US Airways by [[America West Holdings]]; however, the internal structure was a [[reverse merger]], with legacy US Airways operations taken over by those of America West.

As the holding companies merged, brand conversion began. The America West Club was renamed the US Airways Club in October 2005. All-new America West aircraft were delivered in the [[US Airways livery#Current Livery|new US Airways livery]], and older aircraft repainted (while retaining America West interiors). Gates and ticket counters were consolidated at airports where both airlines had operated, aided by the March 2007 transfer of all US Airways reservations to the Shares computer system used by America West (US Airways had previously used a very different  [[Sabre (computer system)|Sabre]] system).

All express flights were branded as US Airways Express and aircraft were no longer confined to operations out of their pre-merger hubs (America West aircraft could fly from Philadelphia to cities other than Phoenix and Las Vegas, for example). The two airlines' operating certificates were merged on September 25, 2007. After initially using the "CACTUS" callsign for the west fleet and "USAIR" for the east fleet, all aircraft began flying under a single "CACTUS" callsign and ICAO code "AWE" in September 2008. Meanwhile, US Airways abandoned Las Vegas as its hub. Former America West aircraft were distinguished apart from US Airways pre-merger aircraft by their use of registrations ending in "-AW", while pre-merger US Airways aircraft used registrations ending in "-US". US Airways would later merge with [[American Airlines]] in 2013, with the former America West callsign and ICAO code retired in 2015 (alongside with the US Airways brand). America West's Phoenix hub has remained intact with American Airlines.

==Fleet==
===Final fleet===
[[File:Americawestboeing757-200.jpg|thumb|America West Airlines [[Boeing 757#757-200|757-200]] in 2006]]
As of September 27, 2005, at the time of the merger, America West Airlines' fleet consisted of the following aircraft:{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ America West Airlines fleet
|-
!rowspan=2|Aircraft
!rowspan=2|In<br />service
!colspan=3|Passengers
!rowspan=2|Notes
|-
!<abbr title=Business>C</abbr>
!<abbr title=Economy>Y</abbr>
!Total
|-
|[[Airbus A319-100]]
|34
|12
|112
|124
|rowspan=2|All were transferred to [[US Airways]] and later [[American Airlines]].
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|57
|12
|138
|140
|-
|[[Boeing 737-300]]
|36
|8
|126
|134
|All were transferred to [[US Airways]] and later retired in 2012.
|-
|[[Boeing 757-200]]
|13
|14
|176
|190
|All were transferred to [[US Airways]] and later retired by [[American Airlines]] in 2020.
|-
!Total
!140
!colspan=4|
|-
|}

===Retired fleet===
America West Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ America West Airlines retired fleet
|-
! Aircraft
! Total
! Introduced
! Retired
! Notes
|-
| [[Boeing 737-100]]
| 5
| 1984
| 1999
|
|-
| [[Boeing 737-200]]
| 62
| 1983
| 2005
|
|-
| [[Boeing 747-200B]]
| 4
| 1989
| 1994
|
|-
| [[De Havilland Canada Dash 8|de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100]]
| 12
| 1987
| 1993
|Transferred to [[Mesa Airlines]].
|}

===America West Express aircraft===
{{main|America West Express#Fleet}}
[[America West Express]] services primarily operated by [[Mesa Airlines]] via a [[code sharing]] agreement with America West utilized the following regional jet and turboprop aircraft.

===Cancelled and planned orders===
In 1991, America West had plans for purchasing 4 [[Boeing 747-400]] aircraft to replace the aging [[747-200]]s in Honolulu service, but an order of 10 further [[Boeing 757-200]]s was also mentioned.<ref>{{Cite web|title=America West Reconsidering $1.5 Billion in Boeing Orders|url=https://apnews.com/article/c8246193d52ec08514f576850ac5cc53|access-date=May 22, 2021|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> Furthermore, it was in the plans to purchase 15 [[Airbus A318]]s in the late 1990s aside with their new orders of A320s at the time but this never came to fruition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=America West to Sign For Up to 77 Airbus Aircraft Airline Joins Growing List of Customers for A318|url=https://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/912/-america-west-to-sign-for-up-to-77-airbus-aircraft-airline-joins-growing-list-of-customers-for-a318.html|access-date=June 24, 2021|website=www.defense-aerospace.com|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205138/https://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/912/-america-west-to-sign-for-up-to-77-airbus-aircraft-airline-joins-growing-list-of-customers-for-a318.html }}</ref> America West had also planned on announcing an order of 60 aircraft on September 12, 2001, but this was quickly retracted after the [[September 11 attacks|September 11th attacks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of America West |url=http://awa-history.org/about_awa/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901154659/http://awa-history.org/about_awa/history/ |archive-date=September 1, 2018 }}</ref>

==FlightFund==
The airline had a [[frequent flyer program]] called '''FlightFund'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americawest.com/fltfund/ffsubhm.html |title=Welcome to FlightFund |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961022234229/http://americawest.com/fltfund/ffsubhm.html |archive-date=October 22, 1996 |website=America West Airlines |access-date=October 1, 2009 }}</ref> In 2006, FlightFund was merged into the US Airways '''Dividend Miles''' program, which in turn merged into the American Airlines '''[[AAdvantage]]''' program in 2015.

==Destinations==
The following is a list airports that America West Airlines flew to as of September 24, 2007 (at the time of merger with [[US Airways]]).

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country
! City
! Airport
! Notes
! Refs
|-
|rowspan="2"|Canada ([[Alberta]])||[[Calgary]]||[[Calgary International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Edmonton]]||[[Edmonton International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|Canada ([[British Columbia]])||[[Vancouver]]||[[Vancouver International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Cranbrook, British Columbia|Cranbrook]]||[[Canadian Rockies International Airport]]||{{Airline seasonal|Charter}}||
|-
|Canada ([[Ontario]])||[[Toronto]]||[[Toronto Pearson International Airport]]||||
|-
|Costa Rica||[[San José, Costa Rica|San José]]||[[Juan Santamaría International Airport]]||||
|-
|Japan||[[Nagoya]]{{efn|According to the [[US Airways]] page, in 1991 as the United States entered the [[Gulf War]], the [[Prime Minister of Japan]] told the Japanese people not to fly on United States airlines, thus causing a drop in traffic. America West then ceased flying [[Boeing 747]] service the Nagoya-Honolulu route and sold the traffic rights to [[Northwest Airlines]].}}||[[Nagoya Airfield]]||{{Terminated}}||<ref>"[http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/aboutus/pressroom/history/americawest.aspx US Airways: A Heritage Story]," ''[[US Airways]]''</ref>
|-
|Mexico ([[Baja California]])||[[San José del Cabo|Los Cabos]]||[[Los Cabos International Airport]]||||
|-
|Mexico ([[Colima]])||[[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]]||[[Playa de Oro International Airport]]||{{Airline seasonal}}||
|-
|Mexico ([[Mexican Federal District|Federal District]])||[[Mexico City]]||[[Mexico City International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|Mexico ([[Guerrero]])||[[Acapulco]]||[[Acapulco International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Ixtapa]]/[[Zihuatanejo]]||[[Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport]]||{{Airline seasonal}}||
|-
|rowspan="2"|Mexico ([[Jalisco]])||[[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]]||[[Guadalajara International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Puerto Vallarta]]||[[Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport]]||||
|-
|Mexico ([[Nuevo León]])||[[Monterrey]]||[[Monterrey International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|Mexico ([[Quintana Roo]])||[[Cancún]]||[[Cancún International Airport]]||||
|-
|Mexico ([[Sinaloa]])||[[Mazatlán]]||[[Mazatlán International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|Mexico ([[Sonora]])||[[Guaymas]]||[[Guaymas International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Hermosillo]]||[[Hermosillo International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Alaska]])||[[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]]||[[Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="5"|United States ([[Arizona]])||[[Grand Canyon National Park]]||[[Grand Canyon National Park Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]]||[[Flagstaff Pulliam Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]||[[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]]||{{Airline hub}}||
|-
|[[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]]||[[Tucson International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]]||[[Yuma International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|rowspan="16"|United States ([[California]])||[[Burbank, California|Burbank]]||[[Hollywood Burbank Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Carlsbad, California|Carlsbad]]||[[McClellan–Palomar Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Fresno, California|Fresno]]||[[Fresno Yosemite International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]||[[Long Beach Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Los Angeles]]||[[Los Angeles International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Oakland, California|Oakland]]||[[Oakland International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Ontario, California|Ontario]]||[[Ontario International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]]||[[Palm Springs International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]]||[[Palmdale Regional Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]||[[Sacramento International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[San Diego]]||[[San Diego International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[San Francisco]]||[[San Francisco International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[San Jose, California|San Jose]]||[[San Jose Mineta International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[San Luis Obispo, California|San Luis Obispo]]||[[San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]]||[[John Wayne Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]]||[[Santa Barbara Municipal Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="9"|United States ([[Colorado]])||[[Colorado Springs]]||[[Colorado Springs Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Denver]]||[[Denver International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Stapleton International Airport]]||{{Terminated|Airport Closed}}||
|-
|[[Durango, Colorado|Durango]]||[[Durango-La Plata County Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Eagle, Colorado|Eagle]]/[[Vail, Colorado|Vail]]||[[Eagle County Regional Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]]||[[Grand Junction Regional Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Hayden, Colorado|Hayden]]/[[Steamboat Springs, Colorado|Steamboat Springs]]||[[Yampa Valley Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Montrose, Colorado|Montrose]]||[[Montrose Regional Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]]||[[Pueblo Memorial Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[Connecticut]])||[[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]||[[Bradley International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="6"|United States ([[Florida]])||[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]]||[[Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]]||[[Southwest Florida International Airport]]<sup>Seasonal</sup>||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Miami]]||[[Miami International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]||[[Orlando International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]||[[Tampa International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]||[[Palm Beach International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]])||[[Atlanta]]||[[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Hawaii]])||[[Honolulu]]||[[Daniel K. Inouye International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Idaho]])||[[Boise, Idaho|Boise]]||[[Boise Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]]{{efn|America West was the only airline ever to serve Sun Valley with [[Boeing 737]] jet aircraft.}}||[[Friedman Memorial Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|rowspan="3"|United States ([[Illinois]])||rowspan="2"|[[Chicago]]||[[Midway International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[O'Hare International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Moline, Illinois|Moline]]||[[Quad Cities International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[Indiana]])||[[Indianapolis]]||[[Indianapolis International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="3"|United States ([[Iowa]])||[[Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids]]||[[The Eastern Iowa Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines]]||[[Des Moines International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]]||[[Sioux Gateway Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[Kansas]])||[[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]]||[[Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[Louisiana]])||[[New Orleans]]{{efn|Service was abruptly halted in the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]] in August 2005 and the Phoenix-New Orleans route never resumed following the merger with [[US Airways]].}}||[[Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[Maryland]])||[[Baltimore]]||[[Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Massachusetts]])||[[Boston]]||[[Logan International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Michigan]])||[[Detroit]]||[[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Minnesota]])||[[Minneapolis]]/[[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]]||[[Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="3"|United States ([[Missouri]])||[[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]||[[Kansas City International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]]||[[Springfield–Branson National Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]||[[St. Louis Lambert International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Montana]])||[[Kalispell, Montana|Kalispell]]||[[Glacier Park International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Nebraska]])||[[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]]||[[Lincoln Airport (Nebraska)|Lincoln Municipal Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]]||[[Eppley Airfield]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Nevada]])||[[Las Vegas]]||[[McCarran International Airport]]||{{Airline hub}}||
|-
|[[Reno, Nevada|Reno]]||[[Reno–Tahoe International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[New Jersey]])||[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]||[[Newark Liberty International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[New Mexico]])||[[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]]||[[Albuquerque International Sunport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[New York (state)|New York]])||rowspan="2"|[[New York City]]||[[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[LaGuardia Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|United States ([[North Carolina]])||[[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]/[[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]||[[Raleigh–Durham International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Ohio]])||[[Cleveland]]||[[Cleveland Hopkins International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]]||[[John Glenn Columbus International Airport]]||{{Airline hub}}||
|-
|United States ([[Oklahoma]])||[[Oklahoma City]]||[[Will Rogers World Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Oregon]])||[[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]||[[Portland International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Pennsylvania]])||[[Philadelphia]]||[[Philadelphia International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Pittsburgh]]||[[Pittsburgh International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Tennessee]])||[[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]||[[Memphis International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="7"|United States ([[Texas]])||[[Austin, Texas|Austin]]||[[Austin–Bergstrom International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Dallas]]/[[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]]||[[Dallas Fort Worth International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]]||[[El Paso International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Houston]]||[[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]]||[[Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Midland, Texas|Midland]]/[[Odessa, Texas|Odessa]]||[[Midland International Air and Space Port]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]]||[[San Antonio International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Utah]])||[[Salt Lake City]]||[[Salt Lake City International Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Virginia]])||rowspan="2"|[[Washington, D.C.]] area||[[Dulles International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]]||||
|-
|rowspan="2"|United States ([[Washington (state)|Washington]])||[[Seattle]]/[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]||[[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport]]||||
|-
|[[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]]||[[Spokane International Airport]]||||
|-
|United States ([[Wisconsin]])||[[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]]||[[Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport]]||||
|-
|}

==Codeshare agreements==
Throughout its existence, America West had [[codeshare]] agreements with the following airlines:

* [[Big Sky Airlines]]
* [[British Airways]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2005/09/british_airways_2.html| title=British Airways ends code-share with America West| date=September 9, 2005| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070227155942/http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2005/09/british_airways_2.html| archive-date=February 27, 2007| journal=[[Cheapflights]]}}</ref>
* [[Chautauqua Airlines]] {{small|(operating as [[America West Express]]' regional jet feeder service at the former Columbus hub)}}
* [[Continental Airlines]] {{small|(ended on May 1, 2002, citing low code-shared flight sales)}}<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/28/business/company-news-continental-ends-ticket-alliance-with-america-west.html| title=Continental Ends Ticket Alliance With America West| date=March 28, 2002| newspaper=The New York Times| agency=[[Bloomberg News]]| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
* [[EVA Air]]
* [[Hawaiian Airlines]] {{small|(on services to Kahului, Kailua-Kona, and Lihue)}}<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.departedflights.com| date=October 23, 2020| title=America West Airlines route map}}</ref>
* [[Mesa Airlines]] {{small|(operating as [[America West Express]]' regional jet and turboprop feeder service at America West hubs)}}
* [[Northwest Airlines]] {{small|(codeshared on flights from Asia)}}
* [[Qantas]] {{small|(ended February 28, 2007)}}
* [[Royal Jordanian Airlines]]
* [[Trans World Airlines]]
* [[US Airways]] {{small|(Merger partner)}}
* [[Virgin Atlantic]]

==Headquarters==
[[File:America West HQ Tempe - North.jpg|thumb|The headquarters of America West Airlines in [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]], which also served as the headquarters for US Airways post-acquisition]]

America West had its headquarters in [[Tempe, Arizona]] from the airline's start in 1983 and it retained the same location when it merged with US Airways and retained the US Airways name.<ref name="azcentral.com">Berry, Jahna (June 2, 2005). "[http://www.azcentral.com/abgnews/articles/0602amwest-tempe.html Tempe breathes a sigh on AmWest merger plan]." ''[[Arizona Business Gazette]]''. Retrieved March 1, 2010.</ref> The airline used the nine-story<ref>"[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=115806F0B18C72C0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Phoenix mostly shrugs at prospect of Delta merger]." ''[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]''. November 19, 2006. A1. Retrieved on March 1, 2010. "More than 700 people work at US Airways' nine-story headquarters."</ref> {{convert|225000|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} building as its headquarters once America West and US Airways merged,<ref>"[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-55264733.html Article: Carey Diversified Finances America West Headquarters; $25 Million Non-Recourse Mortgage Secured by Recently Completed Facility.]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}" ''[[PR Newswire]]''. July 27, 1999. Retrieved on March 1, 2010.</ref> but the building has since been vacated when US Airways' management team took over [[American Airlines]] in an acquisition. Jahna Berry of the ''[[Arizona Business Gazette]]'' said in 2005 that the building "is one of the dominant buildings in downtown Tempe."<ref name="azcentral.com"/> The City of Tempe gave America West $11 million in incentives and tax breaks so it could occupy the headquarters, which cost $37 million to construct.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UGczAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NiEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4255,2375296&dq=america-west+headquarters&hl=en| title=United-America West Deal Has Implications Across The West| agency=[[Associated Press]]| newspaper=[[Lodi News-Sentinel]]| date=January 22, 1999| page=13| access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> The construction of the building began in January 1998; the groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 19 of that year.<ref>"[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20321283.html America West Completes Financing of New Corporate Headquarters]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}." ''[[PR Newswire]]''. February 19, 1998. Retrieved on March 1, 2010.</ref> The previous America West headquarters were demolished.<ref>Lehman, William. "[http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/history/americawest.html Part VII - America West]." [[US Airways]]. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref>

==Other commercial interests==
America West had promotional partnerships with the [[Phoenix Suns]] [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] team, the 2001 [[World Series]] champion [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] [[baseball]] team, and the [[Arizona Cardinals]] [[National Football League|NFL]] team.

In 1992, America West paid $26 million for the 30-year naming rights of the [[Phoenix Suns]]' home court, which it named [[America West Arena]]. Since the merger with US Airways, the arena was called [[US Airways Center]] (not to be confused with the [[USAir Arena]] in [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], razed in 2002), until it was renamed to Talking Stick Resort arena.

==Accidents and incidents==
America West had four in-flight incidents on its aircraft, but never had an accident resulting in a fatality. Two accidents resulted in hull loss [[write-off]]s.

{| class="wikitable"
! Flight
! Date
! Aircraft
! Location
! Descriptions
! Injuries
|-
| America West Airlines Flight 450
| December 30, 1989
| 737-200
| [[Tucson, Arizona]]
| A fire in the wheel well burned through hydraulic conduit; consequently, during landing, braking was ineffective and the aircraft overran the end of the runway. After colliding with a concrete structure, the plane came to a stop. The aircraft was written off. [https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001213X29969&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=IA NTSB probable cause]
| 10 minor
|-
| America West Airlines Flight 727
| January 16, 1990
| 737-300
| [[Austin, Texas]]
| On January 16, 1990, America West Flight 727 was hijacked en route to Las Vegas from Houston. The hijacker forced the pilot to land the aircraft in Austin, Texas, so it could be refueled and flown to Cuba. Austin police overpowered and arrested the hijacker.
| none
|-
| [[America West Airlines Flight 556]]
| July 1, 2002
| A319-100
| [[Miami, Florida]]
| The flight was halted by the [[Transportation Security Administration]], [[air traffic control]] and local police after security agents notified supervisors that the pilots smelled of alcohol and acted belligerently. Sobriety tests showed that the pilots were legally intoxicated; they were fired by the airline the next day and eventually convicted of operating an aircraft while drunk.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Candiotti |first1=Susan |last2=Davis |first2=Patty |title=America West fires pilots accused of drinking |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/07/02/america.west.dui/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=July 3, 2002 |access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=The Associated Press |title=Ex-airline pilots guilty of being drunk in cockpit |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8145656 |publisher=NBC News |date=June 8, 2005 |access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref>
| none
|-
| America West Flight Airlines 794
| August 28, 2002
| A320-231
| [[Phoenix, Arizona]]
| The pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing, causing the aircraft to veer off the side of the runway onto a dirt infield, where the nose gear strut collapsed. The aircraft was written off. [https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20020913X01603&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=IA NTSB brief]
| {{nowrap|1 serious, 9 minor}}
|}

==See also==
* [[List of defunct airlines of the United States]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.americawest.com/|title=America West Airlines}}
{{Portal bar|Arizona|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of the United States}}
{{US Airways Group}}
{{American Airlines}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:America West Airlines| ]]
[[Category:Airlines based in Arizona]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1981]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2007]]
[[Category:Ansett Australia]]
[[Category:Companies based in Tempe, Arizona]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Arizona]]
[[Category:Defunct low-cost airlines of the United States]]
[[Category:History of Phoenix, Arizona]]