Los Angeles Airways

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Los Angeles Airways (LAA) was a helicopter airline based in Westchester, Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles Airways offered services to area airports, as well as Disneyland from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the heliport at the Newporter Resort, Newport Beach, California, now the Hyatt Regency. LAA had several firsts, including the first regularly scheduled helicopter mail service on October 1, 1947. Service to Ontario and San Bernardino was initiated on December 17, 1953.

In April 1957 they scheduled 17 weekday departures from LAX to 11 heliports from North Hollywood to San Bernardino to Santa Ana to Long Beach; they didn't fly to downtown Los Angeles. The OAG doesn't say what helicopter, but the drawing shows an S-55.

LAA was the first civil operator of the Sikorsky S-61, introducing it on March 1, 1962, purchased at a price of $650,000 each.

Los Angeles Airways ceased operations in 1971 after failure to consummate a contract in which it would have been purchased by Golden West Airlines.

Passengers boarded, in thousands, scheduled flights only: 30 in 1957, 39 in 1960, 396 in 1967, and 62 in 1970.

Video Los Angeles Airways

Aircraft operated

Sikorsky S-51
Sikorsky S-55
Sikorsky S-61

Maps Los Angeles Airways

Accidents

On May 22, 1968, Los Angeles Airways Flight 841, operated by a Sikorsky S-61L, crashed in Paramount, California resulting in the loss of 23 lives.
On August 14, 1968, another Sikorsky S-61L, operating Los Angeles Airways Flight 417, crashed in Compton, California resulting in the loss of 21 lives.