New York Air Pilot Hat Badge 3rd Issue

New York, NY 1980-1987

In 1980, a holding company was created for Texas International Airlines called Texas Air Corporation. Texas Air created a new airline called New York Air (NYA). New York Air was based at New York's LaGuardia Airport. New York Air became a challenge to the Eastern Airlines Shuttle. NYA service commenced on December 19, 1980 with shuttle operations between New York LaGuardia, Washington National, and Boston Logan airports. In 1985, NYA moved its hub operation to Dulles Airport. Its original New York-Boston operation was sold to Pan Am as a requirement for Texas Air's purchase of Eastern Airlines. At its operational peak, New York Air employed over 2,000 people before Texas Air combined NYA with Continental Airlines on February 1, 1987.