Editing Trans World Airlines (section)

===1950s: Trans World Airlines===
On February 22, 1950, TWA signed a contract with the [[Glenn L. Martin Company]] for 12 [[Martin 2-0-2]]s and 30 [[Martin 4-0-4]]s. The first plane was delivered on July 14, 1950. TWA's Martin fleet was eventually increased to 53 planes, and they remained operational until 1961. On May 17, 1950, the airline officially changed its name to Trans World Airlines. On December 5, 1950, TWA ordered 10 [[Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation]]s, which were delivered in 1952. On October 19, 1953, TWA offered nonstop transcontinental service.<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|159,163,181–182}}

[[File:Barkley.jpg|thumb|The [[TWA Corporate Headquarters' Building]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], with TWA Moonliner II atop its southwest corner from 1956–62, replicating the [[TWA Moonliner]] [[Tomorrowland (Disney Parks)|Tomorrowland]] attraction at [[Disneyland]]]]
TWA's flight operations were based at [[Kansas City Municipal Airport]], while their [[maintenance (technical)|overhaul base]] was located at [[Fairfax Airport]]. When the [[Great Flood of 1951]] destroyed the facility, the city of Kansas City helped TWA build a new facility on 5000 acres, {{convert|18|mi|km}} north of downtown at what became [[Kansas City International Airport]].<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|185–188}}<ref name=Karash/>{{rp|32–34,50}}

On July 10, 1953, TWA ordered 20 [[Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation#Variants|Lockheed 1049Es]], which was later changed to be 1049Gs. They were put in service on April 1, 1955. On September 25, TWA introduced multiple class services, first and economy. On October 30, they inaugurated their Los Angeles-London route, via New York.<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|193,197–198}}
[[File:"Fly TWA" sign.jpg|left|thumb|TWA's maintenance hangar at Philadelphia airport, built in 1956, from an undated photo from Historic American Engineering Record]]

On December 23, 1954, the Hughes Tool Co. ordered 25 Lockheed L-1449 [[turboprop]]s. On March 29, 1955, this order was changed to piston-powered [[L-1649A]]s. Hughes transferred the planes to TWA in 1956, after receiving [[Civil Aeronautics Board]] approval. The first L-1649A was delivered on May 4, 1957. Fully reclining seats were later added to the airliner.<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|208–211,213,222–223}}

In February 1956, Hughes Tool Co. placed an order with [[Pratt & Whitney]] for 300 jet engines, [[Pratt & Whitney JT3D|JT-3s]] and [[Pratt & Whitney JT4A|JT-4s]]. On March 2, 1956, Hughes Tool Co. placed an order for 8 domestic [[Boeing 707]]s, later increased to 15 aircraft on January 10, 1957, and an order for 18 international 707s on 19 March 1956, bringing the total order with Boeing to 33 jet planes. Then on June 7, 1956, Hughes placed an order for 30 [[Convair 880]] Skylarks. TWA suffered from its late entry to the jet age, and Hughes' 1956 order cost $497 million. The transaction ultimately resulted in Hughes losing control of the airline.<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|305,308–309,317}}<ref name=Karash/>{{rp|39}}<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|14–16,289,299–300}}

In 1958, TWA became the first major airline to hire an [[African American]] [[flight attendant]], hiring Margaret Grant after another African American woman, [[Dorothy Franklin]] of [[Astoria, Queens, New York]], filed a lawsuit alleging "that she had been discriminated against 'because of poor complexion ... unattractive teeth' and legs that were 'not shapely'". New York governor [[W. Averell Harriman]] praised her hiring, saying the action "would raise American prestige abroad".<ref name="hostess">INS. "First negro hostess hired by TWA", ''The Bridgeport Post'', [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], February 10, 1958, page 26.</ref>

[[Charles Thomas (Secretary of the Navy)|Charles Sparks Thomas]] became president on July 2, 1958. The inaugural flight of TWA's Boeing 707 took place on March 20, 1959.<ref name=Rummel/>{{rp|337,348,362}}