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Lake Central Airlines

Logo: Lake Central Airlines, PD, via Wikipedia3

US airline (1950–1968) that merged into Allegheny

Lake Central Airlines was a local service carrier and scheduled airline that served multiple locations throughout the midwestern and eastern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it then merged into Allegheny Airlines. In 1979 Allegheny became USAir, and in 1997, USAir became US Airways. In 2015, US Airways was acquired by American Airlines through a merging of the two companies.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1950Founded1
  • HeadquartersIndianapolis1

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Nord 262 A F-WLHX Lake Cent LBG 19.06.65 edited-3
Photo: RuthAS, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Lake Central Airlines was a local service carrier and scheduled airline that served multiple locations throughout the midwestern and eastern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it then merged into Allegheny Airlines. In 1979 Allegheny became USAir, and in 1997, USAir became US Airways. In 2015, US Airways was acquired by American Airlines through a merging of the two companies.2

The story

The airline was founded as Turner Airlines in 1948; it was based at Weir Cook Airport (now Indianapolis International Airport) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lake Central's network in the 1950s extended from Chicago to Pittsburgh; in August 1953 it had scheduled flights to 21 airports, and in May 1968, this number increased to 39.

Like other local service airlines regulated by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board, Lake Central was subsidized; in 1962 its revenue of $10.8 million included $4.2 million of "pub. serv. rev.".

In February 1955 Lake Central Airlines became the first employee-owned scheduled airline in the history of the air transport industry. 162 employees (65% of the total) bought 97.5% of the outstanding stock, 25% outright, and the rest financed over 24 months.

Effective July 1, 1968, the airline was acquired by and merged into Allegheny Airlines. Allegheny later closed the Indianapolis base and sold the Nord 262s, which had proven unreliable. Lake Central had planned on acquiring new Boeing 737-200s, but the order was cancelled.

From Wikipedia’s article on Lake Central Airlines, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

Fleet

Lake Central flew Douglas DC-3s, Convair 340s, Convair 580s, Beechcraft Bonanzas, and Nord 262s. DC-3 flights ended in 1967, and by spring of 1968 Lake Central had an all-turboprop fleet of Convair 580s and Nord 262s.

Historical fleet

Lake Central Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:

Destinations in 1968

Shortly before the merger into Allegheny Airlines, Lake Central was serving the following cities with an all-turboprop fleet, mainly consisting of Convair 580 and Nord 262 aircraft, according to its April 28, 1968 timetable:

From Wikipedia’s article on Lake Central Airlines, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1968Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1950Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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