Final flights set for tonight; American Airlines takeover complete

Monday, Aug. 30, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

An ambitious effort to bring a low-cost airline to Reno finally ends tonight as the last Reno Air flights take off, seven years and two months after the first ones soared into the skies.

At 9:22 p.m., one flight will head north from Reno to Portland, Ore., and another will wing south from Reno to San Diego.

After that, all flights will be under the name of American Airlines, which bought the struggling company in February.

By Tuesday, all Reno Air signs at airports will be gone. Pilots, flight attendants and ticket-takers will be wearing American uniforms.

Reno Air's familiar mountain range logo will be painted over and replaced with American's markings by the end of the year.

The brave startup airline -- some said it was more upstart than startup -- began July 1, 1992, with a flight to Seattle.

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