The CEO of Ravn Alaska, the regional airline operating flights across the state of Alaska, abruptly announced his departure on July 1, casting doubt on stalled plans to launch an affiliate transpacific carrier.
Rob McKinney had been attempting since 2021 to establish a Ravn affiliate carrier to operate Boeing 757-200 aircraft between Asian and U.S. cities, with Anchorage serving as a stopover point.
Following attempts to establish scheduled short-haul domestic routes in the western U.S. as it worked toward the U.S.-Asia connecting flights, New Pacific Airways—formerly Northern Pacific Airways—is now operating only charter flights.
McKinney said in a statement that he “does not share the forward vision” of Ravn’s ownership, adding, “There comes a time in life when you just don’t see eye to eye.”
McKinney added that he has “positioned Anchorage as a strategic hub for transpacific flights, inspired by other successful stopover airlines,” such as Icelandair. But the transpacific operation has not materialized after three years of effort.
A year ago, McKinney told Aviation Week that “2024 is the year that we get to Asia, and we get the whole model up and running as designed ... 2024 definitely is where we get across the finish line.”
Ravn cut more than 25% of its staff of around 400 employees in layoffs earlier this year.
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