Executive Express Aviation LLC, trading as Ravn Connect (Anchorage Ted Stevens), has asked the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to dismiss its pending application for certificate authority to operate inter-state scheduled air services in rural Alaska, according to a regulatory filing.
In an August 15 motion, the New Pacific Airlines (7H, Anchorage Ted Stevens) on-demand air taxi subsidiary simultaneously asked for permission to withdraw its application for a certificate of public necessity and convenience filed more than 15 months ago on April 5, 2023. Since then, the DOT has requested additional information four times, which the airline requested to keep confidential.
According to the original application, Executive Express Aviation LLC planned to provide scheduled and charter services to select Alaskan communities from its base at Anchorage with varying weekly frequencies, using two nine-seater Beech 1900Ds. The DOT requested more information on the lessor of the aircraft and proof of air taxi operations in 2022. At the time of application, EEA said it was leasing one 1900D and planned to add another one of the type.
A year after the application, the DOT also requested EEA to prove that it was financially fit for its proposed services to Alaskan communities. When approached for comment at the time, New Pacific Airlines' then-CEO, Rob McKinney, claimed that the DOT had reversed its decision and would be rescinding the request. He subsequently told ch-aviation that EEA was in discussions with the DOT on some unrelated changes. He claimed the department's request letter was no longer relevant, but that the DOT would not remove it from the docket. The DOT did not respond to several requests for comment.
Meanwhile, parent New Pacific Airlines recently underwent a leadership change with the departure of McKinney, while former president Tom Hsieh has taken over as chief executive. Hsieh told ch-aviation that EEA's future is uncertain as FLOAT Alaska, the indirect majority owner of New Pacific Airlines, is re-assessing its future. He expressed doubts about the viability of operating a single aircraft service in Alaska.
According to regulatory filings, Californian start-up commuter airline FLOAT Shuttle (Burbank) acquired EEA from Southern Airways Express (9X, Memphis International) in 2019. FLOAT Alaska was established when FLOAT Shuttle acquired the operating certificates and assets of the RavnAir Group in July 2020. This included the operational rights for Ravn Alaska, shortly after it filed for bankruptcy, allowing FLOAT to restore air services in Alaska. McKinney, then FLOAT Shuttle’s chief operating officer, moved to Alaska to lead the new Ravn.
He also established Northern Pacific Airways in August 2021 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FLOAT Alaska. Under McKinney the plan was to replicate the business model of Icelandair (FI, Reykjavik Keflavik) by offering transpacific flights between North America and Asia, with Anchorage as a stopover point. However, the transatlantic plans faced regulatory hurdles. On July 14, 2023, the airline eventually launched on the route between Ontario International in California to Las Vegas Harry Reid with B757-200s. In August 2023, the airline faced a trademark infringement lawsuit from BNSF Railway regarding its use of the "Northern Pacific" name. Following a preliminary injunction, the airline opted to rebrand as New Pacific Airlines to avoid further legal complications. In April 2024, the airline ceased all remaining scheduled operations and pivoted entirely to charter services.
