Air Mail Route 52 was extended to Vancouver by an award in the
Los Angeles / San Francisco to Vancouver Case which designated Los Angeles and
San Francisco as co-terminals, with Portland, Oregon, an intermediate point. On
the inaugural date each California city was served by a different flight.
Although this cachet carried the designation “AM 19,”
Western's service was via Air Mail Route 52.
This cover was carried on the July 1, 1967 Air Mail Route 52 inaugural flight from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is listed in the Contract Air Mail Flights (CAM) section of The American Air Mail Catalogue as 52N8.
On September 9, 1986, the directors of Western Airlines and Delta Air Lines approved an $860 million purchase of Western Airlines by Delta Airlines. On October 3, 1986 the Justice Department’s antitrust division announced that it would not oppose the acquisition. On October 23, 1986 the Department of Transportation gave tentative approval to the merger. Final government approval was made on December 12, 1986 whereupon Delta Airlines completed its acquisition of Western Airlines, making Western Airlines a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atlanta-based carrier. The carriers continued operating as separate airlines until April 1, 1987, when Western Airlines’ operations were combined with Delta Airlines’ operations. Western Airlines, which had commenced operations in 1926, ceased to exist as of April 1, 1987.