New Pacific Airways chief executive Rob McKinney abruptly leaves post

Rob McKinney, chief executive of Alaskan regional airline Ravn Alaska and floundering start-up carrier New Pacific Airways, has left the group effective immediately. A representative for McKinney said on 1 July that the split comes as he “does not share the forward vision of the ownership and chairman”. “It has been an amazing journey to be part of the resurrection of Ravn from bankruptcy and to experience the rare opportunity of launching America’s latest Part 121 airline,” McKinney states. “Our partnership with Boeing and collaborations with other remarkable companies and individuals around the world brought our vision to life. However, there comes a time in life when you just don’t see eye to eye.” McKinney launched New Pacific Airways – at the time called Northern Pacific Airways – in 2023, initially aiming to connect Anchorage with key destinations in Asia and the lower 48 states. He looked to replicate across the Pacific Ocean what Reykjavik-headquartered Icelandair does over the Atlantic. For years, the Icelandic carrier has used its island base about midway between North America and Europe to offer low-fare flights between the continents, with the option for stopovers.<br/>