Pacific Wings
Encyclopedia
Pacific Wings Airlines is an American
commuter airline
headquartered in Dallas, Texas
, United States
. It operates over 90 daily scheduled departures, as well as VIP charter air services throughout Hawaii
. Its main base is Kahului Airport
.
On February 1, 2007, the airline began operating flights between Honolulu and Molokai, Honolulu and Lanai, and Kahului and Molokai as PW Express, offering $49 one way fares on every seat on every flight. Service to Kapalua, West Maui began a month later. PW Express service terminated in July 2009 in the wake of Pacific Wings cutbacks following an incident with airport security in Kahului.
subsidies to serve Clovis
and Silver City, New Mexico
from Albuquerque
, competing with a bid from incumbent operator Great Lakes Aviation, and to serve Hobbs
and Carlsbad, New Mexico
, competing with a bid from incumbent operator Air Midwest
. Pacific Wings has said the airline would serve the routes with Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, and would aim to wean the routes off subsidy service, as it has done in Hawaii. It would also serve other destinations from Albuquerque without a subsidy.
In March 2007, both the Lea County
Commission (which oversees the airport in Hobbs) and the Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously to support Pacific Wings' bid to replace Mesa's EAS contract to both airports. In addition to subsidized service to Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas
, the airline has also proposed unsubsidized service to Lubbock
and Midland-Odessa, Texas
and Santa Fe, New Mexico
. It was also reported that the airline had withdrawn its bid for service to Silver City after local officials declined to meet with airline representatives. The United States Department of Transportation
issued an order selecting Pacific Wings for the Hobbs and Carlsbad service on March 30, 2007. Flights in New Mexico began on July 1, 2007, under the name New Mexico Airlines
.
Benn Epps Airport, Georgia and Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, Georgia
. The airline began operating flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
in Atlanta
under the name GeorgiaSkies using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft on September 29, 2008.
and Owensboro, Kentucky
. Marketed as TennesseeSkies
in Jackson and KentuckySkies
in Owensboro, flights from both cities would be offered to Nashville, Tennessee
with some flights continuing to Atlanta, Georgia
. Service began on August 30, 2009. On June 30, 2011 Pacific Wings filed with the United States Department of Transportation
a 90-day notice of its intent to terminate service effective September 30, 2011 saying it is “unable to procure counter or gate space at Nashville International Airport
on reasonable terms.” The DOT prohibited the airline from suspending service until a replacement carrier began service.
in Las Vegas, Nevada
. The flight was destined for the Grand Canyon
, but after liftoff the pilot advised the air traffic controller
that the baggage door was open and requested to return to the airport for landing. The pilot and both passengers on board were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board
determined the probable cause of the accident to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, with the pilot's failure to assure that the nose baggage compartment door was secured as an additional factor.
of harassment
.
The first known recorded incident reported in the media happened in October 2005, after the President of the airline and one of his employees were attacked by Wackenhut Security Manager "Butch" Tam Ho in an airport conference room during a meeting in which Pacific Wings requested to bring repeated incidents of harassment by Wackenhut personnel to the attention of airport management. The airline President and his employee were then placed under citizen's arrest by Wackenhut personnel and held for hours without being Mirandized or allowed access to a telephone. The airline executive was knocked unconscious during the event, and his employee suffered a facial fracture. Neither the Pacific Wings President nor the employee were ever charged by prosecutors with any crime, and both arrest records were expunged six months after the incident. Tam Ho was indicted on two counts of witness tampering by a federal Grand Jury in May 2008 and faces up to 10 years in prison in connection with the event. The case went to trial in early 2009, and on October 16, 2009, Tam Ho was found not guilty on all counts due to a legal technicality involving whether Tam Ho's admitted assault was done under color of law.
On November 14, 2005, another employee was accosted by another Wackenhut Security Guard while unloading supplies at the same airport. The employee videotaped the entire incident. On the videotape clip repeatedly broadcast in local media, the guard is shown threatening to kill the employee with a sidearm, shoving and cursing at the employee, and spitting on the employee. The guard, Eric Brown, was arrested by Maui Police and charged with terroristic threatening. Brown was later banned from working on any state property or facility.
On July 8, 2009, Pacific Wings temporarily suspended its Hawaii operations a day after an alleged confrontation between airline employees and Securitas
airport police
attempting to deliver a citation to Gabe Kimbrell, the airline's president and chief operations officer, in connection with a fuel spill and alleged improper storage of fuel in the airline's Kahului hangar the previous month. The airline resumed flights two days later, announcing that it was reducing service to just three routes, completely eliminating service to Kona and increasing ticket prices.
Grand Caravan aircraft, and the airline is in negotiations to buy a ninth. The airline also plans to purchase additional aircraft for its EAS contracts in New Mexico and Georgia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
commuter airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
headquartered in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It operates over 90 daily scheduled departures, as well as VIP charter air services throughout Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Its main base is Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport is a regional airport in the state of Hawai'i, located east of the Kahului CDP in Maui County on the island of Maui near Haleakala. Most flights into OGG originate from Honolulu International Airport; the Honolulu–Kahului corridor is one of the busiest air routes in the US,...
.
History
The airline was established and started operations in July 1974 when it was incorporated as Air Nevada, an on-demand charter operator. Scheduled services started in 1978. After Eagle Canyon Airlines acquired its network of tour operators, Air Nevada ceased operations in January 1998, changed its operating name to Pacific Wings and continued its scheduled services within Hawaii. It is owned by Greg Kahlstorf (50%) and Frank Ford (50%).On February 1, 2007, the airline began operating flights between Honolulu and Molokai, Honolulu and Lanai, and Kahului and Molokai as PW Express, offering $49 one way fares on every seat on every flight. Service to Kapalua, West Maui began a month later. PW Express service terminated in July 2009 in the wake of Pacific Wings cutbacks following an incident with airport security in Kahului.
Subsidiaries
The following airline divisions of Pacific Wings all use the same call sign of Tsunami, two letter IATA codes (LW), and ICAO 3 letter code - (NMI). As for FAA DOT regulating purposes they are all the same airline. For marketing purposes known only to Pacific Wings, the various airlines are segmented into the various divisions.New Mexico Airlines
In January 2007, the airline applied for Essential Air ServiceEssential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
subsidies to serve Clovis
Clovis, New Mexico
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 32,667 at the 2000 census; according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates, the population had risen to 37,775....
and Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. The city is the home of Western New Mexico University.-History:...
from Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, competing with a bid from incumbent operator Great Lakes Aviation, and to serve Hobbs
Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...
and Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
, competing with a bid from incumbent operator Air Midwest
Air Midwest
Air Midwest, Inc., was a Federal Aviation Administration Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number AMWA510A issued on May 15, 1965. It was headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, United States, and was a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It operated flights as US...
. Pacific Wings has said the airline would serve the routes with Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, and would aim to wean the routes off subsidy service, as it has done in Hawaii. It would also serve other destinations from Albuquerque without a subsidy.
In March 2007, both the Lea County
Lea County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*75.0% White*4.1% Black*1.2% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*16.5% Other races*51.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Commission (which oversees the airport in Hobbs) and the Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously to support Pacific Wings' bid to replace Mesa's EAS contract to both airports. In addition to subsidized service to Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, the airline has also proposed unsubsidized service to Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
and Midland-Odessa, Texas
Midland–Odessa metropolitan area
The Midland–Odessa Combined Statistical Area is a Combined Statistical Area located in West Texas. It has two component areas – the Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area and Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2009 U.S...
and Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. It was also reported that the airline had withdrawn its bid for service to Silver City after local officials declined to meet with airline representatives. The United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
issued an order selecting Pacific Wings for the Hobbs and Carlsbad service on March 30, 2007. Flights in New Mexico began on July 1, 2007, under the name New Mexico Airlines
New Mexico Airlines
New Mexico Airlines is an American commuter airline brand founded by Pacific Air Holdings to operate flights in New Mexico after the airline was awarded an Essential Air Service contract to serve Hobbs and Carlsbad, New Mexico. The airline started flights on July 1, 2007 and uses the airline...
.
GeorgiaSkies
In June 2008, Pacific Wings was awarded an EAS contract for service to AthensAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
Benn Epps Airport, Georgia and Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. The airline began operating flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
under the name GeorgiaSkies using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft on September 29, 2008.
TennesseeSkies/KentuckySkies
In mid-2009 Pacific Wings was awarded a contract to provide EAS service from Jackson, TennesseeJackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
and Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
. Marketed as TennesseeSkies
TennesseeSkies
TennesseeSkies is a subsidiary of Pacific Wings founded in 2009. The carrier was offered to fly to the destinations stated below on an essential air service contract. Also travelers can connect to sister carrier Georgia Skies at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport...
in Jackson and KentuckySkies
KentuckySkies
KentuckySkies is a subsidiary of Pacific Wings founded in 2009. The carrier was offered to fly to the destinations stated below on an essential air service contract. Also travelers can connect to sister carrier Georgia Skies at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport...
in Owensboro, flights from both cities would be offered to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
with some flights continuing to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Service began on August 30, 2009. On June 30, 2011 Pacific Wings filed with the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
a 90-day notice of its intent to terminate service effective September 30, 2011 saying it is “unable to procure counter or gate space at Nashville International Airport
Nashville International Airport
Nashville International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in southeastern Nashville, Tennessee. The IATA Airport Code BNA is derived from the early name of the facility—Berry Field, NAshville. Berry Field was the name of the airport until 1988, when the name was changed to reflect...
on reasonable terms.” The DOT prohibited the airline from suspending service until a replacement carrier began service.
Destinations
As of July 2009, Pacific Wings serves six airports on four Hawaiian islands:- Hana, MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
– Hana AirportHana AirportHana Airport is a regional airport of the State of Hawai'i on the east shore of the island of Maui, northwest of the unincorporated town of Hana. It is primarily a commuter facility used by unscheduled air taxis and general aviation... - HonoluluHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, OahuOahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
– Honolulu International AirportHonolulu International AirportHonolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu... - Hoolehua, MolokaiMolokaiMolokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
- Hoolehua Airport - Kahului, MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
– Kahului AirportKahului AirportKahului Airport is a regional airport in the state of Hawai'i, located east of the Kahului CDP in Maui County on the island of Maui near Haleakala. Most flights into OGG originate from Honolulu International Airport; the Honolulu–Kahului corridor is one of the busiest air routes in the US,... - KalaupapaKalaupapa, HawaiiKalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within Kalawao County.The village is located on the Kalaupapa peninsula at the base of the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about into the Pacific Ocean.- Volcanic origin :Kalaupapa...
, MolokaiMolokaiMolokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
- Kalaupapa AirportKalaupapa AirportKalaupapa Airport is a regional airport of the State of Hawai'i, located on the northern peninsula of the island of Moloka'i, two nautical miles north of Kalaupapa Settlement. Most flights to Kalaupapa originate from commuter airports on the other Hawaiian islands by unscheduled air taxis and... - Kamuela, Big IslandHawaii (island)The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
- Waimea-Kohala AirportWaimea-Kohala AirportWaimea-Kohala Airport is an airport located one nautical mile southwest of Kamuela , an unincorporated town in Hawai‘i County, Hawai‘i, United States....
Incidents and Accidents
On July 12, 1993, when the airline was still known as Air Nevada, a Cessna 402C with registration N818AN crashed after takeoff from McCarran International AirportMcCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The flight was destined for the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, but after liftoff the pilot advised the air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
that the baggage door was open and requested to return to the airport for landing. The pilot and both passengers on board were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
determined the probable cause of the accident to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, with the pilot's failure to assure that the nose baggage compartment door was secured as an additional factor.
Incidents with Airport Security
After several videotaped incidents in 2005, Pacific Wings accused the security firm WackenhutWackenhut
G4S Secure Solutions is a private security company. It was founded as The Wackenhut Corporation in 1954, in Coral Gables, Florida, by George Wackenhut and three partners ....
of harassment
Harassment
Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing...
.
The first known recorded incident reported in the media happened in October 2005, after the President of the airline and one of his employees were attacked by Wackenhut Security Manager "Butch" Tam Ho in an airport conference room during a meeting in which Pacific Wings requested to bring repeated incidents of harassment by Wackenhut personnel to the attention of airport management. The airline President and his employee were then placed under citizen's arrest by Wackenhut personnel and held for hours without being Mirandized or allowed access to a telephone. The airline executive was knocked unconscious during the event, and his employee suffered a facial fracture. Neither the Pacific Wings President nor the employee were ever charged by prosecutors with any crime, and both arrest records were expunged six months after the incident. Tam Ho was indicted on two counts of witness tampering by a federal Grand Jury in May 2008 and faces up to 10 years in prison in connection with the event. The case went to trial in early 2009, and on October 16, 2009, Tam Ho was found not guilty on all counts due to a legal technicality involving whether Tam Ho's admitted assault was done under color of law.
On November 14, 2005, another employee was accosted by another Wackenhut Security Guard while unloading supplies at the same airport. The employee videotaped the entire incident. On the videotape clip repeatedly broadcast in local media, the guard is shown threatening to kill the employee with a sidearm, shoving and cursing at the employee, and spitting on the employee. The guard, Eric Brown, was arrested by Maui Police and charged with terroristic threatening. Brown was later banned from working on any state property or facility.
On July 8, 2009, Pacific Wings temporarily suspended its Hawaii operations a day after an alleged confrontation between airline employees and Securitas
Securitas AB
Securitas AB is a security services , monitoring, consulting and investigation group, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The group has approximately 300,000 employees in 50 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Securitas AB is listed at Nasdaq OMX Stockholm,...
airport police
Airport police
Airport Police units are a security police agency assigned to perform law enforcement functions at airports. In some cases, they are branches of larger general purposes agencies. Other variations include dedicated agencies, combined police/fire agencies and even military units...
attempting to deliver a citation to Gabe Kimbrell, the airline's president and chief operations officer, in connection with a fuel spill and alleged improper storage of fuel in the airline's Kahului hangar the previous month. The airline resumed flights two days later, announcing that it was reducing service to just three routes, completely eliminating service to Kona and increasing ticket prices.
Fleet
The Pacific Wings fleet is composed of eight single engine Cessna 208BCessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
Grand Caravan aircraft, and the airline is in negotiations to buy a ninth. The airline also plans to purchase additional aircraft for its EAS contracts in New Mexico and Georgia.