American Airlines Commemorates 1st L.A.-N.Y. Trip in ’59

American Airlines lays claim to being the first airline to fly a jet coast to coast, from New York to Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 1959.

That historic cross-country flight was commemorated Monday with a 40th anniversary celebration in both cities, airline officials said.

American painted a brand new Boeing 757 aircraft, which bears a striking resemblance to the Boeing 707 used in 1959 in colors from that era, featuring bright orange and dark blue stripes and lightning bolts under the cockpit, said Tim Smith, an American Airlines spokesman.

The celebration started in New York with the announcement of a new $1-billion terminal to be built at John F. Kennedy Airport by 2005. Popular tunes from 1959 played as passengers boarded the plane. During the flight, passengers watched news clips and popular television shows from 1959. On board were two crew members from the historic flight, engineer John Ekstrom and flight attendant Ann Breyton.

As the airplane landed at Los Angeles International Airport, Fire Department personnel shot a water cannon salute from trucks, a traditional aviation salute. Movie actress Maureen O’Hara, now 78, participated in flight ceremonies 40 years ago and was at the airport to greet passengers.

Since 1959, American has had more than 169,000 flights between Los Angeles and New York, with 23 million passengers and about 35 million pieces of luggage, Smith said.

“In our eyes this flight really did launch the Jet Age for commercial aviation,” Smith said. “It’s something we all take for granted now.”