Capital Airlines was a commercial airline for the eastern, southern, southeastern, and midwestern United States from 1936 to 1961. It was the fifth largest airline in the United States. The airline was the first to offer service from the west to Washington D.C., coach class service, in-flight television, and jet-powered commercial aircraft. This collection includes materials related to Capital Airlines predecessor company, Clifford Ball Airlines, and materials created under its former name, Pennsylvania Central Airlines. There is also materials related to the Capital Airline Association. The collection documents the history of the airlines, its aircraft and employees.

Eastern Airlines was a major U.S. domestic airline from 1926 to 1991. It was considered to be one of the four largest carriers during the mid-twentieth century, the other three being American, TWA, and United. Eastern Airlines dominated the air travel market between New York and Florida from the 1930s through the 1950s. This small collection of Eastern Airlines photographs and ephemera predominantly reflects the company's aircraft fleet between 1938 and 1991. In addition, there are materials that document the company's route system and later decline. This collection has been arranged into three series: Photographs, Publications and ephemera, and Newspaper clippings and magazine articles.

Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the principal international airline in the United States for most of its existence and the nation's only international carrier before World War II. Pan Am was originally founded as Pan American Airways in 1927 as an international carrier only. On January 8, 1991, Pan American World Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company was subsequently dissolved and liquidated. This small collection of Pan American World Airways photographs and ephemera predominantly reflects the company's aircraft fleet between 1930 and 1991. In addition, there are materials that document the company's route system and later decline.