Ocean Air Tradeways began operations out of Maxton North Carolina in 1946 until 1951. The founder and president Ralph Cox Jr. started the airline as a low-fare infrequent passenger service between New York and Miami using DC-3s and DC-4s. It operated as Atlantic Northern Airways between 1948 and 1949 and relocated its base operations to Cape May, New Jersey and renamed United States Overseas Airlines in 1951.