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Air West was branded with an ultramodern service mark in bright interchangeable color combinations of lime green, royal blue, orange, pink, and bronze. Like the multi-color “jelly bean” airplanes of Braniff, the airline’s aircraft liveries featured various combinations of two of these colors. Their stewardesses were outfitted in futuristic, slim-cut, high-fashion ensembles created by Oleg Cassini and reminiscent of uniforms worn in the original Star Trek television series, which was popular at the time. In 1968, the newly formed Air West had just launched operations when its multi-million dollar computerized reservation system broke down over the busy Fourth of July weekend, causing a public relations fiasco. The incident resulted in a considerable loss of revenue and left the company on the verge of financial ruin. In stepped Howard Hughes, the famous aviator, Hollywood producer, and billionaire mogul, who saw this as an opportunity to use his financial and political power to acquire the troubled airline. Shortly after the sale was completed in 1970, his renamed Hughes Airwest began operations
This image was posted on March 24, 2022.