Northern Pacific Airways, an Alaska-based startup and part of the same company that owns regional operator Ravn Alaska, plans to launch services between the U.S. and Asia via its home state using Boeing 757s.
The aspiring startup has bought its first of at least six 757s “to meet part of its initial fleet requirements,” it said in a Sept. 22 announcement. The first aircraft, sourced from AerSale, is an ex-American Airlines aircraft with Rolls-Royce engines and “will be delivered immediately,” the airline added. AerSale bought 24 Rolls-powered 757s from American and United Airlines in 2020.
Northern Pacific is using San Bernardino, California-based repair station Certified Aviation Services to conduct required maintenance on its 757s. The airline is still working on required regulatory approvals and has not announced its planned service-launch date.
“Northern Pacific is proud to introduce these powerful aircraft as the foundation of our fleet,” said CEO Rob McKinney. “The Boeing 757-200 will help us achieve operational savings and efficiencies while offering our customers a rewarding travel experience.”
Aviation Week Fleet Discovery shows 334 passenger-version 757s in the global fleet. This includes 126 that are either parked or in long-term storage, or about 38% of the fleet. A total of 87 are powered by Rolls-Royce engines.
Northern Pacific is part of Float Alaska, LLC, the same firm that owns Ravn Alaska. The airline plans to base its operations at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and offer flights between Asian and U.S. cities via Anchorage. Ravn, the all De Havilland Dash 8 carrier restructured under new management following a 2020 bankruptcy filing and owned by Float, serves Anchorage as part of its 13-destination network.
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