'Pan American-Grace Airways', better known as 'Panagra', was an
airline formed as a
joint venture between
Pan American World Airways and Grace Shipping Company.
History
Panagra operated flights from the
United States to the
Andean countries of
South America, connecting as far south as
Buenos Aires and
Santiago, Chile. The airline was founded in
1929 to compete with
SCADTA, a
German-owned company, and held a quasi-monopoly over air travel in many parts of South America during the
1940s and
1950s. Panagra merged with
Braniff International Airways in
1967. Braniff operated the Panagra routes to South America until 1982, when
Eastern Air Lines purchased its South American operations. As of 2007, these routes were operated by
American Airlines.
Grace Shipping was a subsidiary of
W. R. Grace and Company. WR Grace once had a 50% share of Pan American-Grace Airways, which also is known as Panagra through Grace Shipping.