Pacific Air Lines Boeing 727-169
N2969G (c/n 19304)
Pacific's entry into the jet world came in 1966 when they leased two Boeing 727s
from the
manufacturer. The operation was short lived under that name however, as Pacific
Southwest
Airlines (PSA) with their cut rate fares were beginning to cut seriously into
Pacific's profits.
And so, on 17 April 1968 Pacific Air Lines, Bonanza Air Lines and West Coast
Airlines merged
to become Air West. Since the new line had international routes (to Canada) President
Johnson's,
in addition to CAB's, approval was required. The chief shareholder of the new
airline was Nick
Bez, former owner of West Coast (who desperately tried to buy out Pacific, but
was denied doing
so by the CAB). In the meantime, Howard Hughes, who had been forced out of TWA
was
equally desperate to re-enter the airline-owning arena. Following much legal
wrangling, Bez sold
out to Howard Hughes and in 1969 Air West was renamed Hughes Air West.