Monarch Airlines First Flight Canon City Colorado 1946

In the spring of 1946 the Civil Aeronautics Board issued one of its first post-war “Regional” decisions, in which Ray Wilson, Inc. was authorized to serve 25 cities in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. By the time the first leg of Air Mail Route 73 was placed in operation, the name of the airline had been changed to Monarch Air Lines. Severe storms during the month delayed the first service until November 27, when the Denver to Durango segment was inaugurated as far as Alamosa and Monte Vista (both served through the Monte Vista airport). Service between Alamosa / Monte Vista and Durango was delayed three days, taking place on November 30.

 This cover was carried on the inaugural Air Mail Route 73 flight from Canon City, Colorado to Durango, Colorado (where it was backstamped) and is listed in the Contract Air Mail (CAM) Section of The American Air Mail Catalogue as 73W7.

The Canon City Postmaster autographed the cover.

* - On June 1, 1950 Monarch Air Lines, Challenger Airlines (Air Mail Route 74) and Phoenix-based Arizona Airways merged to form Frontier Airlines.  The newly-formed airline had 400 employees and 12 Douglas DC-3 aircraft, serving 40 destinations in the Rocky Mountain region.

On October 17, 1986, a bankruptcy court approved the purchase by Continental Airlines’ parent corporation, Texas Air, of the physical assets of Frontier Airlines (aircraft and facilities) but not the routes. Frontier had ceased operations on August 24, 1986, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 28. The Frontier acquisition was one of several conditions established by Texas Air as a requirement for its acquisition of People Express, Inc., Frontier’s parent company.