PACIFIC AIRWAYS, LTD.: Canada (1925-1928). PA is established at Vancouver, British Columbia, in early 1925 by the noted Canadian World War I ace Donald R. MacLaren. Employing a purchased Curtiss HS-2L flying boat, MacLaren assumes the Canadian Air Board’s west coast fishery patrol and also runs a general charter service to bush communities.
Operations continue apace until the little airline is purchased by Western Canada Airways, Ltd. in 1928.
PACIFIC AIRWAYS CORPORATION: 3110 Domestic Airport Road, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines; Phone 63 (2) 8322731; Fax 63 (2) 833-7430; http//:Www. pacificair. com. ph; Code GX; Year Founded 1947. PAC is formed as an FBO and general aviation company at Manila in 1947. Over the next forty years, lightplane charters are operated throughout the archipelago.
In 1988, PAC begins to provide regional commuter services. The fleet of CEO Celso L. Samaniego and Managing Director Renato S. Anel’s small carrier comprises 1 each Beech 55, Beech 65, Cessna 310, Cessna 401, 2 Cessna 421s, 2 Convair 580s, and 6 Pilatus-Britten-Norman PBN-2 Islanders. In 1989, the light Beechcraft are replaced by four Beech 18s and another Islander is placed into service.
A Piper PA-31-310 Navajo is acquired in 1990 but, together with the Cessna 310 and two Islanders, is replaced by four de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters (two each Dash-100s and Dash-200s) in 1991. Ela-dio Ersando becomes president in 1992.
Operations continue in 1993-1994. During these years, Nemesio Tejero takes over as CEO and the fleet comes to comprise 1 Beech 80 Queen Air, 1 Beech 50 Twin Bonanza, 6 Cessna 206s, 2 Cessna 207s, 1 each Cessna 401 and C-421, the 4 Twin Otters and the Navajo, and 2 Rockwell Commanders. Removed are the Cessna 310s, Beech 18s, 55 and 65, the Convairs, and the Islanders.
Operations continue apace in 1995-1996 with 1 owned and 1 leased DHC-6-200 plus 2 chartered DHC-6-100s. Destinations visited from Manila include Lubang, Cullion, Cuyo, Busuanga, Subic Bay, Clark, and Caticlan.
While on its takeoff roll from Manila on a service to Bacolod on April 2 of the latter year, a Philippine Airlines (PAL) B-737-200 with 141 passengers crashes into a Pacific Twin Otter with two crew. The nose of the jetliner is damaged, while the lightplane, apparently heading towards its hangar at the time of the incident, is carried 130 m. before it stops in a wrecked condition. Three people aboard the PAL plane are hurt, as is the crew of the de Havilland. With a fleet reduced by one Twin Otter, flights continue apace during the remainder of the year and in 1997-1998.
Early in 1999, a homepage is opened on the Internet’s World Wide Web. There the company promotes its four-times-a-day roundtrips from Manila to Caticlan and daily roundtrips from Manila to Busuanga. It also notes that it is the first and only company to receive an air safety award in the country’s entire aviation history.
President Felipe Nanalig’s workforce totals 120 at the beginning of 2000. The company’s 12 Islanders and 4 Twin Otters, plus 40 smaller aircraft, regularly fly from hubs at Metro Manila, Boracay, Cebu, Du-maguete, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa, and Bacolod to any of the 219 airports of the archipelago. Indeed, the company’s revised Web site happily points out that the carrier’s aircraft regularly bring passengers and cargoes to 89 points in Luzon, 52 in Visayas, and 78 in Mindanao, some of which are not serviced by other airlines.
PACIFIC ALASKA AIRLINES: United States (1973-1985). Originally formed at Fairbanks in 1973, this carrier is initially established as a fire-fighting operator called Aero Retardant, Inc.
Later in the year, the CAB grants authority for the company to operate commercial passenger and cargo charter services in support of pipeline development projects then underway.
Two years later, in 1975, the Bering Straits Native Corporation purchases majority shareholding, using funds from the Native Lands Claims Settlement Organization, which has been set up to compensate Alaskan natives for land acquired for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Early in 1977, PAA President Don Gilbertson buys back 51% control with the understanding that operations will continue as before. His workforce totals 58 and his fleet is made up of 6 Douglas DC-6s. An operating profit of $166,500 is realized on income of $5.7 million.
Following President Carter’s October signing of the Airline Deregulation Act Airline in 1978, employment is increased a dramatic 64.3% to 69. Gilbertson’s carrier now elects to add scheduled intra-Alaska passenger services.
A total of 8,000 passengers are carried during the final quarter and freight traffic accelerates 39.3% to 12.8 million FTKs for the year. On revenues of $8.3 million, a $500,000 operating profit is reported.
In August 1979, the company is sold to private investors who appoint Rod Thompson general manager and seek authority to serve destinations in the “lower 48.” CAB permission is received in 1980. Corporate headquarters are now transferred to Miami and a second flight base is opened at Everett, Washington.
Four DC-6s are disposed of and two Fokker F.27s are obtained; these are employed in 1981 to inaugurate scheduled freighter flights from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle and Spokane.
In 1982, the last two DC-6s are withdrawn and replaced with a Boeing 727-100C. It is employed to initiate passenger charter flights between Seattle and Fairbanks. In September, the company ceases its cargo operation, after having flown 1.62 million FTKs since January.
Operations continue apace in 1983-1984, but overexpansion and growing financial difficulties force the carrier to cease operations and declare bankruptcy in 1985.
World History
