In 1946, American Overseas Airlines (AOA), a subsidiary of American Airlines, purchased a fleet of seven 049 Constellations and began its operations from New York, Boston, and Washington to cities in northern Europe.
The first AOA Constellation arrived at London Heathrow Airport on 31 May 1946 for the opening ceremony. On 1 December 1946, a 049 flew non-stop from New York to London, recording 10 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 521km/h (324mph). By 1948, AOA served Shannon, Prestwick, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Helsinki from the United States. Eventually, Pan American Airways (PAA) acquired AOA, but the US CAB initially ruled against the merger on 17 May 1950. However, President Harry S. Truman overturned the decision, and AOA was merged into Pan American's Atlantic Division on 25 September 1950.
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