90 Years: First-Ever BOS/NYC Air Taxi

(Photo by The Boston Globe September 24, 1927)

In April of 1927, Colonial Air Transport (a predecessor of American Airlines) began passenger service between Boston and New York. Bus transport from the recently opened Hotel Statler Boston (now Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers), brought passengers directly to their plane at the East Boston Airport (now Logan International Airport). The original New York landing was at Hadley Field, N.J. until the Newark Airport opened in October 1928. Cost was $25 round-trip, but as Popular Science magazine wrote, "it's about three times as fast and costs about two and a half times as much." A fair deal to most passengers who were getting a thrilling experience as well as transportation to their destination. The 1.45 hour flight time (one-way) is not too far off from today's 1.15 hour flight time.

Flights were scheduled to assist in transporting early morning mail between the two cities. The very first ticket is recorded as being sold to a Mrs. Gardiner Fiske for the 6:15 flight from Boston that carried an additional five passengers for a total of six paying customers.

Service continued as Colonial Air Transport for several years until a merger in 1929 with Robertson Aircraft Corporation created The Aviation Corporation. After a few years of reorganization and rebranding the company emerged in 1934 as American Airlines which currently ranks as the world's largest airline.

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'90 Years' blog entries will feature historical happenings and news that surrounded the Long family at the beginning of our Cadillac dealership in 1927