Small commuter airline Pacific Wings, which has been cutting back service in the Hawaii market, plans to cease operations in the islands in mid-June.
The carrier, which flies two nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan 208B turboprops, primarily served smaller markets in the state. Pacific Wings has already stopped flying to Hana, Maui; Kamuela on Hawaii island; and Kalaupapa, Molokai. It now only serves Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Hoolehua on Molokai.
Pacific Wings’ final day of service in Hawaii will be June 15.
Parent company Pacific Air Holdings, which is based in Mesa, Ariz., also operates New Mexico Airlines, which flies to Albuquerque, Carlsbad and Los Alamos in New Mexico.
Pacific Wings was founded in 1974 in Las Vegas as charter operator Air Nevada Airlines. It began offering scheduled service in Hawaii in January 1998 out of its headquarters in Kahului. It relocated its headquarters to Mesa several years ago.
Mokulele Airlines and Island Air serve some of the state’s smaller markets, with Hawaiian Airlines’ ‘Ohana by Hawaiian planning to tap into that market later this year.
Pacific Wings CEO Greg Kahlstorf did not respond to an email and voice messages. However, he has long criticized the state Airports Division about the way his business was treated, including several alleged harassment incidents at Kahului Airport involving security and Pacific Wings employees.
Kahlstorf also unsuccessfully appealed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2011 decision to award nearly $2 million in federal subsidies over a two-year period to Makani Kai Charters to fly into Kalaupapa, where there is a residential care facility for Hansen’s disease patients.
Pacific Wings had been providing unsubsidized service to Kalaupapa, but the DOT claimed in its decision that Pacific Wings’ fares were "excessive."
