Company History 1934 to 1958

1934: Continental Airlines was founded over 70 years ago by Walter T. Varney and his partner Louis Mueller as Varney Speed Lines. On July 15, 1934, Continental’s first flight was flown by its precursor Varney Speed Lines on a 530-mile route from Pueblo, Colorado to El Paso, Texas with stops in Las Vegas, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. That same year, Varney ceded control to Mueller.
July 1936: Mueller sold 40 percent of the new company to Robert F. Six, who led the company for more than 40 years.
July 1, 1937: Robert F. Six changed the company's name to Continental Airlines.
October 1937: Robert F. Six moved Continental’s headquarters from El Paso to Denver.
1940s: During World War II, Continental Airlines built the Denver Modification Center where it modified B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-29 Super Fotresses for the U.S. war effort.
December 10, 1953: Continental signed a merger agreement with Pioneer Airlines that added 16 new cities in Texas and New Mexico to its growing route map.
1957: Continental inaugurated "Gold Carpet Service" on its first major route from Chicago to Los Angeles.