Western Air Express flew its first flight in a Douglas M-2 airplane, April 1926. It was awarded the US Postal Service contract to fly the mail from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. In 1928, the Guggenheim Foundation chose Western to set up a model airway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. They purchased 3, Fokker F-10 Trimotor aircraft, provided comfortable wicker chairs and meal service to passengers.

Western developed the first air-to-ground radio, in cooperation with Thorpe Hiscock of Boeing, in 1929. They also introduced the Fokker F-32 aircraft to commercial airline operation, the largest airplane in the world at the time.

In 1930 it merged with Transcontinental Air to form Transworld Airlines (TWA). Western Air Transport broke off in 1934 and changed its name to General Air. In 1941 it changed its name again to Western Airlines. During World War II Western trained pilots for the military and also transported materials to Alaska in the “Sourdough Operation.” Western was bought by Delta Airlines in 1987.