Juan Trippe 1899-1981

[maruppharm]

Pan American founder Juan Trippe believed international airline travel was something to be enjoyed by everyone, not just the rich. That’s why he introduced a “tourist class” fare from New York to London, cutting the ticket price by more than half. He ushered in the commercial jet age by commissioning jet aircraft using new jet engines, which cut travel times and carried twice as many passengers. Trippe realizing the impact, stated matter-of-factly: “In one fell swoop, we have shrunken the earth.”

Quote: "If you build a strong business, you can push suppliers to deliver products a quantum leap beyond anything originally envisioned." (Trippe applied such pressure to Boeing, which created the 707 and 747)