United Airlines began in the late 1920s as a company called Boeing Air Transport (BAT). BAT's holding company, United Aircraft and Transport, also manufactured aircraft and and engines. BAT introduced flight attendants -- professional nurses -- to the airline industry in 1930, to make passengers feel safer in the air.
In 1934, a political scandal involving mail-carrying airlines resulted in the U.S. government prohibiting aircraft manufacturers from operating airlines. The holding company was split into three parts, including what was now United Airlines. The airline quickly gained a reputation for safety innovation, pioneering terrain avoidance and instrumental landing technology. United has remained an industry leader, expanding its domestic routes to include international travel beginning in 1985.
United Airlines has continued to grow through the years. It acquired the Pacific division of Pan Am Airlines in 1985, bought US Airways during the 1990s, and closed a merger with Continental Airlines in October 2010. During labor negotiations in 1994, United gave its employees company stock to settle a dispute. As a result, United is now the largest company in the world with an employee-based majority ownership.
