Alaska-based Northern Pacific Airways announced that it has acquired six Boeing 757s, marking the start of its ambitious transpacific hub project to connect Asia/Pacific with the United States via Anchorage (ANC).
The acquisition of the Boeing 757-200 is the first step in Northern Pacific’s business plan. Prior to entering service, the aircraft will undergo a full Check-C maintenance overhauled by Certified Aviation Services LLC (CAS) which is a leading maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company based in San Bernardino, California.
The Boeing 757-200s are owned by lessor AerFinn, which has twelve aircraft of the model previously owned by American Airlines. Northern Pacific plans to acquire all of the aircraft from the leasing company.
The Boeing 757 is powered by twin 36-600 Rolls-Royce RB211 underwing turbo twin engines for a maximum takeoff weight of 255,000 pounds. The aircraft can carry more than 200 passengers to their destination on each flight, with a range of 3,915 nm / -7,250 km.
«Northern Pacific is proud to introduce these powerful aircraft as the foundation of our fleet,» said Rob McKinney, chief executive officer of Northern Pacific. «The Boeing 757-200 will help us achieve operational savings and efficiencies while offering our customers a rewarding travel experience.»
Rob McKinney, in an interview by Simple Flying, disclosed that the first aircraft will be delivered in December 2021, with the intention of commencing operations by the summer of 2022.
McKinney stated that the Boeing 757 was chosen out of necessity and is available on the market for immediate purchase. By doing so, he avoids a possible order of Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus A321XLR aircraft delaying its launch by product to its production line.
However, it does not rule out ordering one of the two manufacturers’ models in the future, with the aim of reaching up to 50 aircraft.
Rob McKinney and his ambitions
McKinney has a long history in the aeronautical world, where he was at the helm of small airlines that made him a role model in the market. He was a part of Pacific Wings and Mokulele Airlines, helping to spur and expand their operations in Hawaii.
Now he co-founded FLOAT, a commuter and corporate transportation service in Southern California, which acquired Ravn Alaska after entering bankruptcy proceedings as a result of COVID-19.
Ravn Alaska will provide connections to deep-state Alaska, allowing tourists to explore the exotic region.
McKinney’s idea is to implement the same as in Iceland, which used to be a seasonal vacation destination. Thanks to government and airline incentives, the country was able to have a year-round influx of tourists thanks to Icelandair, which used the territory as a stopover to travel from North America to Europe, but with the option of staying a few days in the connection as a tourist.
The same model wants to implement with Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, with a stopover program and help tourism and the Alaskan economy.
How far can the Boeing 757 go from Anchorage?
As reported by Northern Pacific, the aircraft has a range of 3,915 nm / -7,250 km, but the Rolls-Royce RB211 powered model has a range capability of 6825 km (3685 Nm).
With that as a reference, the destinations scheduled from Anchorage to Asia Pacific will be South Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East. With respect to the United States, they will fly to New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington and Houston.
However, it will all depend on the needs of the company, which, according to the CEO, will be a low-cost product with a premium and economy cabin.
Northern Pacific will have to compete with a variety of carriers that serve most of the transpacific markets directly. But almost all connections end up in one of the top 10 U.S. cities, avoiding those secondary hubs that Alaska’s airline can take advantage of.
