In September 2005, the airline had 140 aircraft, with a single maintenance base at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The merged airline used America West's "CACTUS" callsign and ICAO code "AWE", but retained the US Airways name.

The June 1984 timetable shows 71 weekday departures from Phoenix, non-stop to 18 cities; from 1985 to 1986, it established a second hub at Las Vegas.

America West requested that the construction include an auxiliary power facility and an underground cavity to accommodate a future rail station, to which the airport ultimately agreed.

America West pilots and other employees were paid wages far below those of competitors[8]By 1985 America West had outgrown their gate space at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and during the construction of Terminal 4, approved in 1986, a temporary concourse was added to the southwest corner of Terminal 3 to give them six more gates (growing to eleven by 1990).

[9][10] In 1988, Patrick Thurston, Vice-President of Operations, Bob Russell, Chief of Pilots, and Carl Wobser, a captain, all pleaded guilty to multiple counts of narcotics trafficking.

[10] As they explored destinations beyond the United States, America West filed with Department of Transportation for a Phoenix to Sydney route to connect with Ansett Airlines in Australia.

In 1990, America West moved into the new Terminal 4 at Phoenix and took delivery of several Airbus A320s originally destined for now-defunct Braniff Airways.

Braniff had purchased the order rights from Pan Am, another troubled carrier, and the A320s were sold to America West at a steep discount.

Annual revenue reached a billion dollars, the threshold for the Department of Transportation to categorize America West as a major airline.

[13][14] America West operated under bankruptcy from 1991 to 1994; as part of the restructuring, employee stock became worthless, the airline's 747s and Dash8s were sold and the fleet was pared down to 87 aircraft.

On the management side, Founder Ed Beauvais was removed as CEO, remaining on the board of directors, and was replaced with Mike Conway, who had been with the airline since the start.

To help reinvigorate the airline as they emerged from bankruptcy, a number of changes occurred, including a new color scheme and logo (used until the merger with US Airways), new livery, E-tickets, and online ticket purchasing in 1996.

In late 2001, America West was the first airline to apply for and receive a loan from the Air Transportation Stabilization Board.

[16] On May 1, 2002, America West ended its partnership with Continental Airlines, citing low code-shared flight sales.

[citation needed] In 2003, America West Airlines closed its Port Columbus hub, reducing scheduled daily flights from almost 50 to 4.

[citation needed] In the second quarter of 2005, America West entered merger negotiations with then-bankrupt US Airways.

The following is a list airports that America West Airlines flew to as of September 24, 2007 (at the time of merger with US Airways).