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Pacific Wings
Pacific Wings Airlines is an American commuter airline based in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, USA. It operates over 90 daily scheduled departures, as well as VIP charter air services throughout Hawaii. Its main base is Kahului Airport, with hubs at Honolulu International Airport and Hana Airport.[1]
HistoryThe 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%).[1] On February 1, 2007, the airline began operating flights between Honolulu and Molokai, Honolulu and Lanai, and Kahului and Molokai as PW Express, offering $29 one way fares on every seat on every flight. Service to Kapalua, West Maui is planned to begin in March.[2] New Mexico AirlinesIn January 2007, the airline applied for Essential Air Service 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.[3][4] 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 It was also reported that the airline had withdrawn its bid for service to Silver City after local officials declined to meet with airline representatives.[5] The United States Department of Transportation issued an order selecting Pacific Wings for the Hobbs and Carlsbad service on March 30, 2007.[6] Flights in New Mexico began on July 1, 2007, under the name New Mexico Airlines.[7] Georgia SkiesIn June 2008, Pacific Wings was awarded an EAS contract for service to Athens and Macon, Georgia. The airline will operate flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta under the name Georgia Skies using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.[8] DestinationsAs of December 2006, Pacific Wings serves ten airports on five Hawaiian islands:[9]
Incidents and AccidentsOn July 12, 1993, when the airline was still known as Air Nevada, a Cessna 402C with registration N818AN crashed after takeoff from McCarran International Airport 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 a go around. 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.[10] Incidents with Airport SecurityAfter several videotaped incidents in 2005, Pacific Wings accused the security firm Wackenhut 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 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 citizens 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.[11] 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.[12] FleetThe Pacific Wings fleet is composed of nine single engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft, and the airline is in negotiations to buy a tenth. The airline also plans to purchase additional aircraft for its EAS contracts in New Mexico and Georgia.[13] External linksReferences
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