Pan Am Could Be Ready To Make A Big Comeback

Pan Am is deeply entrenched in America's aviation story, and the company may not be quite ready to be relegated to the annals of history just yet. Pan American Airways was formed in 1927, a mere 24 years after Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first powered flight on the Outer Banks barrier islands in North Carolina. It wasn't yet flying in the U.S. however, instead serving the Caribbean and Latin America with its "flying boats." That changed after World War II, and once the jet age hit Pan-Am became virtually synonymous with air travel in America.

You may not have ever flown Pan Am, but we're certain that you're familiar with its blue and white livery and famous blue-clad flight attendants. After decades of reliable commercial service, Pan Am went under in the early 1990s following deregulation of the industry, increased competition, and the infamous bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Now, more than 30 years later, Pan American Global Holdings, which owns the Pan Am name and logo, plans to relaunch this icon of the skies.

The holding company is working with AVi8 Air Capital, an investment firm that is "focused on the airline, commercial aviation and advanced air mobility sectors." It is backing Pan Am's plan to resume service as an American carrier and has started the certification process with the FAA. But will it fly high, or struggle to take flight?

According to Forbes, once it receives certification from the FAA, Pan Am will set up shop in Miami and plans to fly Airbus aircraft. It hasn't yet announced if it plans to equip its fleet with narrowbody or widebody aircraft, or a combination of both. This is a distinct departure from how Pan Am operated during its heyday, when it relied heavily on Boeing planes and even flew the first Boeing 707.

This isn't the first time Pan Am has made the news in 2025. Pan American Global Holdings flew a special commemorative flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in July on a Boeing 757 that boasted the iconic Pan Am paint scheme, and charged a whopping $59,950 per person. The company also plans to open Pan Am-branded hotels in Los Angeles and in Europe, and Timex is selling Pan Am branded watches, which hopefully go for a much more reasonable price than the commemorative flight!

Even with such a storied history, Pan Am may find it challenging to break back into the commercial airline market. A 2023 report by Travel and Mobility Tech (TNMT) found that the industry is seeing a "never-before-seen decline" in new airlines, and bankruptcies often make the news, due to a multitude of factors. These include airport slot availability, shifting consumer trends, and labor shortages. Pan Am has tried to get off the ground several times since the original airline went under, with no success. Time will tell if the legendary blue globe will fly again.