Texas International First Flight Denver Colorado Airport - Salt Lake City Utah

Description

Service by Texas International’s Air Mail Route 82 was further expanded on March 1, 1970, by an extension from Denver to Salt Lake City. An official cachet was provided only for Salt Lake City.
No cachet was provided for inaugural mail from Denver.
This cover was one of
only 192 pieces of mail
carried on the inaugural Air Mail Route 82 flight from the Denver, Colorado Airport Mail Facility to
Salt Lake City, Utah
(where it was backstamped) and is listed in the Contract Air Mail (CAM) Section of The American Air Mail Catalogue as 82W116f.
In October 1981, the President approved the acquisition of Continental Airlines by Texas Air
Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary Texas International Airlines, ending an extended attempt
by Continental to remain independent. The matter was handled by the Civil Aeronautics Board as an
airline acquisition rather than a merger.
On March 31, 1982, Frank Lorenzo was elected Chairman of the Board of Continental Air Lines, in
addition to his duties as President and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Air Corporation, parent of Texas
International. The commonly controlled carriers continued to operate separately
,
but in close harmony.
Continental and Texas International next introduced a plan to merge the carriers, subject to a shareholder
vote of each carrier on June 22, 1982. Approval was given and the carriers commenced the merger
process.
On October 27, 1982, the Civil Aeronautics Board allowed Texas International Airlines to use the
name Continental Air Lines. Effective October 31, 1982, the carriers merged, becoming wholly owned
subsidiaries of newly created Continental Airlines Corporation, which in turn was a wholly ownedsubsidiary
of Texas Air Corporation.