In 1964 he made his initial foray into airplane transportation, buying a local air charter company.
During that time he watched with interest the growing market share of one of the nation's oldest low-cost air carriers, Pacific Southwest Airlines, and became determined to create a similar operation in Texas.
From 1968 until 1970 King was responsible for recruiting a board of directors, writing the business plan, and raising the money necessary to fund the company's activities aimed at becoming certified by the State of Texas to provide airline service between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
He was named Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the reworked company,[7] which had been renamed Air Panama International.
His funeral was attended by Gary C. Kelly, the chief executive officer of Southwest Airlines, as well as other company representatives.