Northern Pacific Airways has taken another step in its evolution from drawing board concept to fully-fledged airline, asking the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for clearance to fly between Alaska, Japan, and South Korea. The airline is eyeing its first passenger flights later this year, pending that all-important regulatory green light.

Northern Pacific DOT filing reveals planned first destinations

In a May 17 filing, Northern Pacific seeks authorization to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between the United States and all countries with which the United States has an Open-Skies (or MALIAT) agreement, including the authority to operate via the United States and intermediate points to a point or points within these countries.

"Northern Pacific requests that its exemption authority and certificate authority be granted without delay and remain in effect indefinitely, consistent with the blanket Open-Skies certificates and other open-entry certificates previously issued to US carriers," the filing reads.

Northern Pacific Boeing 757-200
Northern Pacific Airways had planned to launch its flights using its own Boeing 757-200 aircraft (pictured). Photo: Northern Pacific Airways

The filing says that Northern Pacific intends to start scheduled services between Anchorage, Alaska, and Korea and Japan, both of which are Open Skies partners of the United States, initially via a wet lease with a certificated US air carrier and subsequently with its own crews and Boeing 757-200 aircraft.

"The requested authority is fully consistent with the existing and prospective Open-Skies agreements between the United States and its aviation trading partners," the filing notes. "Prompt approval will enable Northern Pacific to begin offering convenient new services to the public between Anchorage and Open-Skies foreign points, including Korea and Japan – services that are consistent with existing and future bilateral and multilateral understandings with the United States' aviation trading partners."

Alaska-Mountains-Northern-Pacific-Airways
Northern Pacific is betting the attractions of Alaska (pictured) will encourage people to fly through and stopover in Anchorage. Photo: Northern Pacific Airways

Northern Pacific's mysterious wet-leased plane

Northern Pacific's plan to fly from mainland US airport to Asia via its Anchorage home port is something of a step back in time. Until the 1980s, when jets with the capacity to fly nonstop came into service, Anchorage was a popular stopover port for flights between the two continents. Further south, Honolulu performed the same refueling role as did Reykjavik in the North Atlantic.

While choosing an intercontinental flight with a stopover may seem counter-intuitive in 2022, Northern Pacific is betting its cheaper fares and the off-piste allure of an Anchorage stopover will draw in customers, particularly the leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) flyers.

Northern Pacific's comments in its filing concerning a wet-leased aircraft follow September 2021 news that the airline had secured five Boeing 757-200s. In January this year, Simple Flying attended the unveiling of the first plane - a Boeing 757-200 registered as N627NP. Aircraft databases confirm that plane remains with Northern Pacific, but remains in storage in Renton, WA.

In addition to N627NP, Northern Pacific Airways has taken N200UU and N201UU - both Boeing 757-200s and both in storage. Just why none of these aircraft will be flight-ready by the time Northern Pacific starts its first services isn't clear. It could be delays with the previously announced retrofitting program, or it could be an operational or certification issue. But what Northern Pacific does make clear in this week's filing are its first two Asian destinations and that their 2022 launch timeline remains on track.