Pacific Wings

Pacific Wings was an American commuter and regional airline whose history extended from Air Nevada, an on-demand charter operator incorporated in 1974, through scheduled service in the western United States and Hawaii. The airline initially operated as Air Nevada and began scheduled passenger flights in 1978 between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park Airport using Cessna 402 twin-engine aircraft. After Eagle Canyon Airlines acquired the network of tour operators associated with Air Nevada, the airline ended its earlier operations in January 1998, adopted the Pacific Wings operating name, and continued with scheduled services in Hawaii. The company’s principal identity became associated with short-haul, thin-market flying using small aircraft. Its Hawaii network connected communities such as Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Molokai, Lanai, Hana, Kalaupapa, Kamuela, and Kapalua. In 2007, the airline introduced PW Express, a low-fare Hawaii service offering a uniform $49 one-way fare on every seat and every flight at launch. The service initially linked Honolulu with Molokai and Lanai and Kahului with Molokai, later adding Kapalua in West Maui. PW Express ended in 2009 after the carrier reduced its Hawaii operation following disputes and security-related incidents at Kahului Airport. Pacific Wings also expanded beyond Hawaii through Essential Air Service contracts and state-branded operating divisions. New Mexico Airlines began service in 2007 after Pacific Wings was selected to serve Hobbs and Carlsbad, New Mexico. GeorgiaSkies began flying in 2008 between Atlanta and communities including Athens and Macon. TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies began service in 2009 from Jackson, Tennessee, and Owensboro, Kentucky, respectively, with connections principally involving Nashville and, in some cases, Atlanta. These brands were marketing divisions of the same airline for regulatory purposes and shared the Tsunami call sign and common operating identifiers. The airline’s business model depended on subsidized or lightly served regional routes, but several operations proved difficult to sustain. TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies sought to terminate service in 2011, citing the inability to obtain suitable counter and gate space at Nashville International Airport; replacement carriers eventually took over the communities. GeorgiaSkies also experienced service disruption in Macon as replacement-airline arrangements developed. Pacific Wings later obtained an Essential Air Service contract involving Burlington, Iowa, Decatur, Illinois, and Jonesboro, Arkansas from St. Louis, although the available reference material does not document a sustained operating period for that network. Pacific Wings was involved in several highly publicized airport-security disputes in Hawaii, including confrontations between airline personnel and private security or airport-police personnel. A 2009 confrontation connected with a fuel spill and alleged fuel-storage violations led to a temporary suspension of Hawaii operations and a sharp reduction in the carrier’s Hawaii schedule. In May 2013, the airline confirmed that it would end all Hawaii flights on June 15, 2013, after eliminating several smaller destinations and retaining only a reduced group of routes. The company ultimately ceased operations and was out of business by 2014, although the New Mexico Airlines operation reportedly experienced a later FAA grounding and a brief attempt to restore some service before shutting down completely in 2015.

Pacific Wings traces its corporate history to Air Nevada, which was incorporated in 1974 as an on-demand charter operator. Scheduled passenger service began in 1978, when the airline used Cessna 402 aircraft on nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park Airport. This initial business connected tourism-oriented markets rather than operating a large conventional airline network. Air Nevada ceased operations in January 1998 after Eagle Canyon Airlines acquired its network of tour operators. The carrier then changed its operating name to Pacific Wings and continued scheduled flying in Hawaii. At that stage, the company became a small inter-island airline based around short sectors and communities that were not always attractive to large jet operators. The airline was associated with Kahului Airport in Maui before later corporate headquarters were located in Dallas, Texas, and then Mesa, Arizona, in the Phoenix metropolitan area. After the change to Pacific Wings, Greg Kahlstorf and Frank Ford were reported as equal owners. The Hawaii operation expanded and contracted several times. On February 1, 2007, Pacific Wings launched PW Express, a branded service between Honolulu and Molokai, Honolulu and Lanai, and Kahului and Molokai. The launch promotion used a simple $49 one-way fare for every seat on every flight. Kapalua, serving West Maui, was added about a month later. PW Express ended in July 2009 amid broader Pacific Wings cutbacks following airport-security disputes at Kahului. The company subsequently reduced its Hawaii footprint, dropping communities including Hana, Kalaupapa, and Kamuela and eventually limiting service to a smaller group of airports. In May 2013, Pacific Wings announced that all Hawaii flights would end on June 15 of that year. A major part of the company’s later identity came from Essential Air Service flying outside Hawaii. In 2007, Pacific Wings competed for subsidized New Mexico routes and was selected by the Department of Transportation to serve Hobbs and Carlsbad. Flights began July 1 under the New Mexico Airlines brand, using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. The company had promoted a mix of subsidized service and possible unsubsidized routes from Albuquerque to other regional destinations. In Georgia, Pacific Wings received an Essential Air Service award in 2008 and began operating from Atlanta under the GeorgiaSkies name on September 29. The service involved Athens and Macon, though the Macon operation later faced uncertainty and periods without continuous service while replacement arrangements were made. In 2009, Pacific Wings was awarded routes from Jackson, Tennessee, and Owensboro, Kentucky. These operations were marketed as TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies and began on August 30, with Nashville as the principal connecting point and some service continuing to Atlanta. The airline later sought to withdraw, citing unacceptable airport-facility terms at Nashville. Replacement carriers eventually took over the routes, and both branded operations ended in the early 2010s. For 2013, Pacific Wings also received an Essential Air Service contract involving Burlington, Iowa; Decatur, Illinois; and Jonesboro, Arkansas, with St. Louis as the proposed connecting hub. The available reference material does not establish how extensively those services operated. Across these markets, the company used a common regulatory identity even when it presented different names to passengers. The branded divisions shared the Tsunami call sign and common IATA and ICAO identifiers. Pacific Wings’ public profile was also shaped by disputes involving airport security in Hawaii. In 2005, airline personnel accused Wackenhut security staff of harassment after several incidents, including a confrontation involving the airline president and an employee. A separate 2005 incident involving an employee and a security guard was recorded and reported in local media. In 2008, a federal grand jury indicted one security manager on witness-tampering charges; the manager was acquitted in 2009 on a legal-technicality issue. In July 2009, another confrontation involving Securitas airport police, Pacific Wings personnel, a citation, and alleged fuel-handling violations preceded the temporary suspension and reduction of Hawaii services. The airline’s fleet eventually centered on single-engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft, replacing or supplementing the earlier Cessna 402 equipment. Pacific Wings ceased its Hawaii flying in 2013 and was closed by 2014 according to the main airline history. The associated New Mexico Airlines operation reportedly underwent an FAA grounding in December 2014, briefly restored some service in early 2015, and shut down completely by May 2015. Pacific Wings is therefore best understood as a defunct small-market airline group whose operations were spread across several state brands rather than as a single persistent network carrier.

• 2014

  Airline closes

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Wings is reported to have ceased operations and gone out of business.

• 2013

  Hawaii operation ends

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Wings confirms the termination of all Hawaii flights after a series of network reductions.

• 2009

  TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies launch

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Wings begins branded service from Jackson, Tennessee, and Owensboro, Kentucky.

• 2008

  GeorgiaSkies begins flying

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  The airline commences Georgia Essential Air Service operations under the GeorgiaSkies name.

• 2007

  PW Express launches

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Wings introduces a branded Hawaii service with low introductory one-way fares and routes involving Honolulu, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahului.

• 2007

  New Mexico Airlines begins service

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Wings starts Essential Air Service operations to Hobbs and Carlsbad under the New Mexico Airlines brand.

• 1998

  Pacific Wings operating name adopted

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  After Air Nevada ends its earlier operation, the company adopts the Pacific Wings name and continues scheduled Hawaii services.

• 1978

  Scheduled passenger service begins

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  Air Nevada starts scheduled flights between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park Airport with Cessna 402 aircraft.

• 1974

  Air Nevada is incorporated

  [1]Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org

  The airline is established as Air Nevada, initially operating as an on-demand charter carrier.

Small-aircraft commuter airline focused on inter-island and thin regional markets, including government-supported Essential Air Service routes.

• Scheduled regional air service · 1998

  Inter-island passenger flights

  Pacific Wings operated short-haul scheduled passenger flights between Hawaiian islands, serving both major airports and smaller communities. The network included routes involving Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Molokai, Lanai, Hana, Kalaupapa, Kamuela, and Kapalua at different points in the company’s history. Operations were designed for small regional markets rather than high-volume jet corridors.

• Low-fare inter-island airline service · 2007

  PW Express

  PW Express was a Pacific Wings marketing brand launched in Hawaii in 2007. It initially connected Honolulu with Molokai and Lanai and Kahului with Molokai, later adding Kapalua in West Maui. Its launch proposition was a simple $49 one-way fare for every seat on every flight. The service ended in 2009 during a period of airline cutbacks.

• Essential Air Service · 2007

  New Mexico Airlines

  New Mexico Airlines was Pacific Wings’ New Mexico operating brand. It began service in 2007 after Pacific Wings was selected for subsidized routes linking Hobbs and Carlsbad with Albuquerque. The division used Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft and represented the company’s effort to extend its small-aircraft model beyond Hawaii.

• Essential Air Service · 2008

  GeorgiaSkies

  GeorgiaSkies marketed Pacific Wings flights in Georgia, beginning service from Atlanta to communities including Athens and Macon in 2008. The operation was supported through Essential Air Service arrangements and later experienced changes as replacement carriers were sought for some markets.

• Essential Air Service · 2009

  TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies

  These state-branded divisions served Jackson, Tennessee, and Owensboro, Kentucky, respectively. Service began in 2009, with Nashville as the main connection point and some flights continuing to Atlanta. The operations were later withdrawn after airport-access difficulties and replacement carriers took over.

• 2009

  Kahului airport confrontation and fuel-handling allegations

  Pacific Wings temporarily suspended Hawaii operations after an alleged confrontation between employees and Securitas airport police connected with a citation issued to an airline executive. The matter also involved allegations concerning a fuel spill and storage of fuel at the Kahului hangar. The airline resumed service after two days but reduced its schedule and raised fares.

  Source

• 2005

  Disputes with Wackenhut airport security personnel

  Pacific Wings accused Wackenhut personnel of harassment after confrontations at Kahului Airport. One incident involved the airline president and an employee, while another involved an employee who recorded a security guard allegedly threatening and assaulting him. A security manager was later indicted on witness-tampering charges and acquitted in 2009 on a legal-technicality issue.

  Source

• 1993

  Air Nevada Cessna 402 crash

  A Cessna 402C operated by the then-Air Nevada crashed after takeoff from Las Vegas on a flight intended for Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The pilot and two passengers died. The NTSB attributed the accident primarily to inadequate airspeed maintenance during the return-to-airport maneuver, with an unsecured baggage-compartment door as an additional factor.

  Source

Read more

• 2007PW Express $49 fare launch

  Hawaii

  Pacific Wings promoted PW Express with a uniform $49 one-way fare for every seat on every flight, positioning the new Hawaii service as a simple low-price alternative for inter-island travelers.

  Outcome. The branded service ended in July 2009 during broader Hawaii cutbacks.

  Source

• 2013

  Exit from HawaiiStrategy

  Background

  Pacific Wings had reduced its Hawaii network and eliminated several smaller destinations after operational and airport-related difficulties.

  Action taken

  The airline announced that all Hawaii flights would end on June 15, 2013.

  Aftermath

  Pacific Wings later ceased operations and was out of business by 2014.

  Source

• 2009

  Withdrawal from Tennessee and Kentucky marketsStrategy

  Background

  Pacific Wings said it could not secure Nashville airport counter and gate space on reasonable terms.

  Action taken

  It filed notice seeking to terminate TennesseeSkies and KentuckySkies service, subject to continuation until replacement carriers were available.

  Aftermath

  Cape Air and SeaPort Airlines eventually replaced the Pacific Wings services, which ended in the early 2010s.

  Source

• 2007

  Launch of PW ExpressProduct launch

  Background

  Pacific Wings sought to expand and simplify its Hawaii offering in short-haul inter-island markets.

  Action taken

  It introduced PW Express on routes involving Honolulu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahului, and later Kapalua, with a $49 one-way launch fare.

  Aftermath

  PW Express was discontinued in 2009 after operational cutbacks.

  Source

• 2007

  Expansion into subsidized New Mexico routesStrategy

  Background

  Pacific Wings competed for Essential Air Service contracts in New Mexico and proposed operating the markets with Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.

  Action taken

  The Department of Transportation selected Pacific Wings for Hobbs and Carlsbad service, which began under New Mexico Airlines.

  Aftermath

  The New Mexico operation later suffered an FAA grounding and ultimately closed in 2015.

  Source

• 1998

  Rebrand from Air Nevada to Pacific WingsStrategy

  Background

  Air Nevada’s earlier charter and scheduled operation ended after Eagle Canyon Airlines acquired its tour-operator network.

  Action taken

  The company changed its operating name to Pacific Wings and continued scheduled services within Hawaii.

  Aftermath

  The rebranded airline developed a small-aircraft inter-island and regional-market identity.

  Source

1. 1Pacific Wingsen.wikipedia.org