National Airlines was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1934 with the award of a 142-mile mail route between St. Petersburg and Daytona Beach, via Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando. 

Service over the route was inaugurated on October 15, 1934. The fleet consisted of two second-hand Ryan aircraft. The airline had five employees, including the president and founder, G. T. Baker.

On July 8, 1937, the company was charted under the laws of the State of Florida as National Airlines  Inc. Used were Stinson Trimotor and Lockheed Electra L-10. 

Timetable from 1938 

Routes were extended to Jacksonville and to Miami in that year and from Jacksonville to New Orleans in 1938. The most popular route of National at that time was the famous Buccaneer Route from New Orleans to Miami. 

The company relocated it's general offices and principal base of operations in Jacksonville in 1939. The new Lockheed Lodestars were introduced in 1940. 

During World War II the carrier operated a portion of its fleet for the Air Transport Command and operated Air Corps contract schools for pilots, mechanics, radio operators 
and navigators.

In 1944 National became a major airline with the award of the New York-Florida route. On February 14, 1946, National inaugurated with DC-4's the first non-stop service between Miami and New York and the first four-engine commercial flights between the two cities.

DC6s were introduced in 1947 and Convair 340s in 1953. That year DC7s were also used with more sevens in 1957 along with Super Constellations. 

(You can find more informations about National at http://www.nationalsundowners.com/home.php)
(The shown timetables are from the fantastic collections of Björn Larsson and David Zekria. Many thanks!
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/list.htm )

Northwest Airlines
1930's logo

In 1926 Northwest Airways started service carrying airmail between Minneapolis/St Paul and Chicago with two rented biplanes - a Thomas Morse Scout and a Curtiss Oriole.
Passenger service started in 1927.  It's first "Fleet" consisted of 3 Stinson Detroiters. They carried three passengers and were the first closed cabin planes used by an American commercial airline. 

Timetable from 1928

The Stinsons were followed by the all metal Hamilton high wing monoplane, the Ford Tri Motor, the Waco J-6, the Travelair 6000, the Lockheed Orion and in 1934, they added the first of a fleet of Lockheed 10-A (the Electra first went into service with Northwest). Within twelve months they operated a fleet of thirteen Electra aircraft. 

With the takeover of Northern Air Transport in 1934 the airline renamed itself as Northwest Airlines.
The following towns were approached: Seattle, Spokane, Twin Cities and Chicago, since 1937 also Winnipeg and Billings. 
On its services from Chicago to Minneapolis, Seattle and Winnipeg, cold weather is the rule rather then the exception and the difficulties of flying over mountainous country are further complicated by snow and blizzard. 

Timetable from 1935  Timtable from 1936

Since 1945 Northwest has expanded to a trans-continental airline. DC4s were introduced for long-haul polar flights to Asia which began by 1947 to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Manila.
In 1948 Northwest Airlines adopts the "red tail", a trademark still used today.

(The shown timetables are from the fantastic collections of Björn Larsson and David Zekria. Many thanks!
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/list.htm )

In 1936 Union Airways was established by the Union Steamship Company. The first two Lockheed Electra 10 A arrived in New Zealand May 28, 1937 aboard the freighter Limerick.

They arived in crates as deck cargo  on the steamship, and were constructed ashore. They eventually flew between Auckland, New Plymouth, Christchurch, Invercargill, Whangarei, Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Rotorua, and Hamilton New Zealand. The introduction of the Electra shortened the flying time between these cities, greatly, and the passengers flew in a new mode of comfort. 

A rare interior view of an Electra in 1938.

The fleet of Electra 10 s operated throughout the thirties, and forties, with the addition of Lockheed Lodestars. 

During the war, they were also used in transporting supplies and servicemen. 

In 1945 Union was taken over together with Air Travel and Cook Strait Airways by the new state line National Airways Corporation (NAC) which continiued as named airlines until mid-1947. The older twin-types used in the 1940s were replaced by Douglas DC-3 twins by 1950. 

In 1978 New Zealand National Airways Corporation became Air New Zealand.

Union Airways operated 8 Electras, each one bearing a Maori Native name. ZK-AFC (KOTARE) ZK-AFD (KUAKA) ZK-AFE (KERERU) ZK-AGJ (KAHU) ZK-AGK (KAKA) ZK-ALH (KOREKE) ZK-ALI (KOWEKA) AND ZK-BUT (SPIRIT OF TASMAN BAY).

Union/NAC Electra ZK-AFD has been restored, and is currently on display in Auckland Museum of Transport & Technology New Zealand. 

ZK-AFC (KOTARE): Arrived aboard steamship Limerick on May 28, 1937,and was constructed ashore, and made it's first flight on June 5, 1937. Due to engine failure on takeoff at Mangere on May 10, 1938 it crashed and was destroyed, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

ZK-AFD (KUAKA): Also arrived the same day as ZK-AFC, and made its first flight June 3, 1937. It made a crash landing in Dunedin on February 5, 1943, and was repaired and was flying again on August 11, 1943. It was withdrawn from service May 19, 1960 and is now on display at the Museum of Transportation in Auckland, New Zealand.

ZK-AFE (KERERU): Arrived aboard steamship Waiotapu on June 30, 1937. It made it's first flight on July 7, 1937. It crashed on Mt.Richmond on May 7, 1942 with the loss of 5 lives.

ZK-AGJ (KAHU): Arrived aboard steamship Aauraki on July 20, 1938, and made its first flight on August 26, 1938. It crashed into Tauranga Harbour April 19, 1948 with no injuries to passengers or crew, but the plane was damaged beyond repair. 

ZK-AGK (KAKA): Arrived aboard the steamship Clydebank on October 1,1938 and made its first flight November 11, 1938. It crashed on Mt.Ruapehu on October 23, 1948, with the loss of 13 lives.

ZK-ALH  (KOREKE): Was imported in 1946 from Australia where it had been registered as VH-UXH. It was re registered on September 30 by Union Airways. It was withdrawn from service March 12, 1951.

ZK-ALI (KOWEKA): Was imported from Australia in 1946 where it was registered VH-AAU. It first flew for Union Airways In August 1947. It was withdrawn from service in 1951.

ZK-BUT (Spirit of Tasman Bay) was originally registered to Standard Oil of NY ownreship later passed to Creole Petroleum Corp. It's last owner in USA was Interstate Aircraft Co. of Kansas City. It was gegistered ZK-BUT on October 14, 1957.  It was damaged beyond repair during a ground loop landing at ChristChurch on February 18, 1959.