Boeing 757 Startup New Pacific Airlines Just Lost Its CEO

Struggling startup New Pacific Airlines is without a CEO, as Rob McKinney announced his departure today. His exit appears to be with immediate effect, and has been said to be down to the fact “he does not share the forward vision of the ownership and Chairman.”

As the first CEO to launch a large jet airline in the USA for many years, McKinney has been instrumental in getting NPA to where it is today. Commenting on his departure, he said,

“It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated and talented team. Our shared achievements are a testament to their hard work and commitment. While our paths diverge here, I remain immensely proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to the future.”

A long-lasting legacy

Say what you will about the business proposition of New Pacific, but its CEO is an airline guy through and through. McKinney has held senior positions at airlines including Pacific Wings and Mokulele Airlines.

Photo: New Pacific Airlines

During his time at NPA and Ravn, McKinney successfully revived Ravn and generated hundreds of jobs in Alaska. He built the NPA fleet of Boeing 757s and seeded the idea of a stopover hub in Anchorage – an idea that will undoubtedly be revisited in the future.

His track record of turning lofty ideas into thriving businesses speaks for itself, but was the partnership with FLOAT doomed from the start?

Originally, FLOAT was set up to launch Urban Air Mobility services in the LA basin. However, when the pandemic hit, McKinney saw Ravn Alaska’s strife and believed he could make a difference. Along with his investors, he purchased Corvus Airlines and

Peninsula Aviation Service, both doing business as Ravn Alaska, out of bankruptcy.

His partner in this venture was now-Chairman of Ravn and NPA, Josh Jones. A cryptocurrency expert, he is well known for being a prolific investor and technical wizard. But he had never run an airline before.

While the release today doesn’t expand on the unshared forward vision, it seems that crypto and aviation have bumped heads one too many times. What will become of NPA remains to be seen, but its likely one of the existing executives will take up the reins.

Confusing moves to date

New Pacific Airlines, which began life as Northern Pacific until a lawsuit saw it banned from using the former railroad name, has had something of a rocky start to its life.

Initially touted as a disruptive force for transpacific travel, the airline planned to operate one-stop itineraries from the lower 48 to points in Asia. The stop would be at the airline’s home at Anchorage, Alaska, where it had already constructed a welcoming lounge complete with mini-IMAX theater.

But the late opening of Asian countries following COVID and then restrictions on Russian airspace usage meant even the Boeing 757 couldn’t make the trip work. Despite this, NPA was committed to getting off the ground, and began scheduled flights from Ontario in Southern Califonria to Las Vegas.

Weeks later, the airline launched two new routes connecting Ontario to Reno and Nashville, but less than 6 months later, in March of this year, it pulled out of scheduled flights altogether.

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Chief Executive Rob McKinney reiterated, ”Rule number one is stay in business.”

Joining together with Elevate Aviation Group, NPA planned to refit three of its Boeing 757s in an all-business configuration, with just 78 seats on board. Through Elevate’s subsidiary Private Jet Services, NPA will offer large group charter services, which Elevate says has seen “unprecedented demand for our unified offering.”

However the future pans out for NPA, it will embark on the rest of its journey with a new CEO at the helm.