Phone 63 (2) 833-8853; Fax 63 (2) 832-3401; Code PE; Year Founded 1991. Jointly formed in late 1991 on an 80-20 ownership basis by Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) and TNT Worldwide Express (Asia), this express cargo carrier, at first briefly known as Air Philippines (1), takes over the services previously flown by PADC’s flight division. Employing two British Aerospace BAe 146-300QTs, President Angelo Dwight Penson’s operation begins flying freight services five-nights-per-week between the Philippines and Taipei late in the year.
A 10,000-sq.-ft. cargo terminal and offices are secured at Manila’s Domestic Airport at the beginning of 1992 and Singapore joins the route network in the spring. In 1993, Ben Solis becomes managing director and a mechanized package-sorting facility is opened. Having proven too large, the Dash-300QTs are traded in during the fall for a pair of BAe 146-200QTs.
Flights commence during the spring of 1994 from Manila to Seoul and Hong Kong, while the route from Singapore is extended down to Jakarta. To help provide additional capacity, a B-737-53C is wet-leased from the French operator Euralair, S. A.
Operations continue apace in 1995. When the company begins to experience additional growth in 1996, it finds that it must seek a larger aircraft. The French machine is replaced in August by a B-727-223F wet-leased from Dallas-based Kitty Hawk Airways.
In early 1997, PEAC begins to consider the possibility of expanding to Xiamen and Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City. Other destinations visited include Hong Kong, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, and Taipei.
Flights continue in 1998. In need of additional capacity in Europe, TNT Worldwide Express reclaims the two BAe 146-200QTs at the beginning of April 1999. They are shifted to London (STN), arriving on April 25 and 28, respectively. Flights continue throughout the remainder of the year with the chartered B-727-53C.
Airline employment at the beginning of 2000 stands at 68. During July, the concern, minus the freighter, is sold to Lucian Tan, CEO of Philippine Airlines.
PACIFIC EXPRESS: United States (1981-1984). Pacific Express is organized in April 1981 by the WestAir Commuter Airlines as a deep discount intrastate subsidiary airline; it is hoped that the new entrant will be able to compete with Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) on the busy Los Angeles-San Francisco corridor.
The company, which is also chaired by WestAir CEO Terry Ashton, is forced to delay the launch of its operations by the PATCO air traffic controller’s strike and by nondelivery of its order for British Aerospace BAe-146-200s.
The new Chico, California-based entrant inaugurates low-fare service between Chico and Palm Springs via Oakland and San Jose, with six former British Caledonian Airways, Ltd. (BCAL) BAC 1-11-201s chartered from British Aerospace on January 27, 1982.
Hubbing from both San Francisco and Los Angeles, the 540-employee PE expands rapidly, acquiring two more One-Elevens (like the others, on lease from British Aerospace) and flying from Chico to Portland, Oregon, via San Francisco; from Boise, Idaho, to Portland via Medford; and from San Francisco to Palm Springs.
Additional cities in California, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington are entered later in the year. Although 480,465 passengers are flown on the year, the carrier, buffeted by recession and fierce competition from United Airlines and Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), suffers a net loss of $19.1 million on revenues of $25.1 million.
Stanley Cobb becomes the large regional’s chairman in early 1983 and enters into a marketing arrangement with Pan American World Airways (1), which coordinates connecting flights at San Francisco and Los Angeles under the title Pan Am/Pacific Express. Another BAC 1-11201 and two Boeing 737-297s (chartered from Aloha Airlines) join the fleet, as the overdue orders for six British Aerospace BAe 146-200s are cancelled. The relationship with WestAir Commuter Airlines is severed.
This expansion and cost-saving efforts cannot, however, raise sufficient traffic nor reduce expenses enough save the carrier from financial disaster. Despite a remarkable 87% leap in passenger boardings to 896,464, the company is overextended.
As a result, Pacific Express suspends flight operations on February 2, 1984 and files for Chapter XI bankruptcy. A limited restart of B-737-297 charter service on February 13 fails and shortly thereafter liquidation proceedings are begun. Most of the company’s assets, including the BAe 146 order that it had cancelled, are acquired by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA).
World History
