Pacific Northern Airlines
Former Alaska-based airline founded as Woodley Airways in 1932 and absorbed by Western Air Lines in 1967.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Pacific Northern Airlines was an Alaska-focused United States airline whose origins lay in Woodley Airways, a small charter operator established by Arthur G. Woodley in 1932. The company began with informal and highly localized air services in Alaska, including flights between Anchorage and Nome. Woodley personally flew early operations, using small single-engine aircraft in an environment where long distances, limited surface transport, mountainous terrain, severe weather, and seasonal isolation made aviation particularly valuable. A flight that could take several hours by air might otherwise require a month-long sled journey. The company’s early business was based on charter work and regional transportation rather than a large scheduled network. Its regulatory position changed during the Second World War. In 1942, the Civil Aeronautics Board certified Woodley Airways as a territorial carrier, reflecting Alaska’s status before statehood. A wartime exemption subsequently allowed the airline to operate between Anchorage and Juneau. That authority became permanent in 1946, strengthening the carrier’s role in southern Alaska. In 1945 the business adopted the name Pacific Northern Airlines. It initially operated as a partnership involving Arthur Woodley, his wife, and the company’s office manager, after which Woodley created a corporation with the same name. The airline’s certificate was transferred to that corporation in 1947. PNA gradually developed from a local bush and charter operator into a scheduled regional airline using a varied fleet that included piston aircraft, Douglas airliners, Lockheed Constellations, and eventually Boeing jets. A major expansion came in 1951, when the Civil Aeronautics Board authorized PNA to serve Seattle and Portland. The decision connected the Alaskan carrier with the continental United States, although President Harry Truman intervened to ensure that Alaska Airlines also received authority to serve Seattle. PNA moved its general offices from Anchorage to Seattle that year and became publicly traded in 1953. Its network consequently combined Alaskan routes with service to the Pacific Northwest. By the 1960s, PNA operated in a heavily regulated and increasingly competitive market. Four airlines—PNA, Alaska Airlines, Pan American World Airways, and Northwest Airlines—served important Alaska–Seattle or Alaska–Portland markets. The competing carriers struggled to make the routes profitable, and the Civil Aeronautics Board provided substantial annual subsidies, much of which covered losses on the Pacific Northwest–Alaska sectors. In 1965 the regulator altered route authorities to reduce direct competition. PNA lost Portland access, while Alaska Airlines’ nonstop Fairbanks–Seattle authority was restricted and Pan Am lost access to Juneau. PNA attempted to modernize its fleet and ordered Boeing 720 aircraft in 1961, taking delivery of two in 1962 and acquiring a third from Braniff in 1966. It also ordered four Boeing 727s in 1965 with the intention of becoming an all-jet carrier. The 727 order could not be financed and was transferred to Braniff as part of the transaction through which PNA obtained its additional Boeing 720. This financing difficulty, combined with route competition and the regulatory environment, encouraged PNA to consider a combination with a larger carrier. Western Air Lines was a logical buyer because its network already extended along the western coast of North America and it operated Boeing 720s. PNA and Western announced their merger in October 1966. The Civil Aeronautics Board approved the transaction in June 1967, and the merger became effective on July 1, 1967. Pacific Northern Airlines therefore ceased to exist as an independent airline, ending the corporate life of the Woodley-founded carrier while transferring its operations into Western Air Lines.
History
Arthur G. Woodley established Woodley Airways in Alaska in 1932 as a sole proprietorship. The early airline concentrated on charter and regional flights, including service between Anchorage and Nome using small aircraft flown by Woodley himself. In Alaska’s still-developing transportation system, air travel provided a practical alternative to very long sled journeys and connected communities separated by difficult terrain and weather. The Civil Aeronautics Board certified Woodley Airways as a territorial carrier in 1942. During wartime, the board granted temporary authority for flights between Anchorage and Juneau in 1943; the authority was made permanent in 1946. These decisions helped establish the carrier’s southern Alaska orientation and gave it a more formal place in the regulated American airline system. In 1945 the airline was renamed Pacific Northern Airlines. It first operated under a partnership involving Woodley, his wife, and the office manager, before being reorganized as a corporation with the same name. The operating certificate moved to the corporation in 1947. PNA expanded its aircraft fleet and developed from a small Alaskan operator into a larger regional carrier using both piston-engine airliners and, later, jet aircraft. PNA’s 1951 authorization to serve Seattle and Portland marked a decisive geographic expansion. The airline moved its general offices from Anchorage to Seattle in the same year and became publicly traded in 1953. Its new network connected Alaska with the Pacific Northwest, but it also placed PNA in direct competition with Alaska Airlines, Pan Am, and Northwest Airlines. The overlapping routes were financially difficult for the carriers, leading to government subsidies and repeated discussions of mergers. In 1965 the Civil Aeronautics Board reallocated certain route rights in an effort to reduce losses and head-to-head competition. PNA lost Portland access, while other carriers faced restrictions in the same market. PNA simultaneously pursued a jet transition. It ordered Boeing 720s in 1961 and received two in 1962, later acquiring another from Braniff. A 1965 order for Boeing 727s could not be financed, so the aircraft order was transferred to Braniff in connection with PNA’s acquisition of a Boeing 720. Western Air Lines, whose western North American network and Boeing 720 fleet complemented PNA’s business, emerged as the eventual buyer. The merger was announced in October 1966, approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board in June 1967, and completed on July 1, 1967. Pacific Northern Airlines then disappeared as an independent company, bringing to a close the airline founded by Woodley in 1932.
- 1967
Acquisition by Western Air Lines
[1]The merger with Western Air Lines becomes effective on July 1.
- 1962
Boeing 720 deliveries
[1]PNA receives two Boeing 720 aircraft ordered the previous year.
- 1953
Public listing
[1]Pacific Northern Airlines becomes publicly traded.
- 1951
Expansion to the Pacific Northwest
[1]PNA receives authority to serve Seattle and Portland and moves its general offices to Seattle.
- 1947
Corporate certificate transfer
[1]The airline certificate is transferred to the newly created Pacific Northern Airlines corporation.
- 1945
Renamed Pacific Northern Airlines
[1]Woodley Airways adopts the Pacific Northern Airlines name.
- 1942
Territorial carrier certification
[1]The Civil Aeronautics Board certifies Woodley Airways as a territorial carrier.
- 1932
Woodley Airways is founded
[1]Arthur G. Woodley establishes an Alaska charter and regional airline.
Products and positioning
A pioneering Alaska and Pacific Northwest carrier that evolved from a small bush and charter airline into a regulated regional airline operating larger piston aircraft and early jet equipment.
Charter aviation · 1932
Alaska charter services
Woodley Airways began by carrying passengers on charter flights within Alaska. Early operations included Anchorage–Nome service and relied on small aircraft suited to the territory’s limited infrastructure and challenging geography.
Passenger airline services · 1942
Scheduled Alaska regional services
Following territorial certification and permanent route authority, Pacific Northern Airlines operated scheduled services linking important Alaskan communities, including Anchorage and Juneau, while serving the broader southern Alaska market.
Passenger airline services · 1951
Pacific Northwest services
From 1951, PNA connected Alaska with Seattle and, for part of its history, Portland. These routes transformed the carrier from a primarily territorial operator into an airline linking Alaska with the continental United States.
Jet passenger service · 1962
Boeing 720 jet service
PNA introduced Boeing 720 aircraft in the early 1960s, adding jet capability to a fleet that had previously included a wide range of piston-engine aircraft and larger propeller airliners.
Brand decisions
1966
Agree to merger with Western Air LinesM&ABackground
Route competition, regulatory changes, and fleet-financing pressure made continued independence more difficult.
Action taken
PNA and Western Air Lines announced a merger in October 1966.
Aftermath
The Civil Aeronautics Board approved the transaction in 1967, and Western absorbed PNA on July 1, 1967.
1965
Pursue an all-jet transitionStrategyBackground
PNA wanted to replace its mixed fleet with Boeing 727 jets, but the carrier could not finance the order.
Action taken
PNA transferred four ordered Boeing 727s to Braniff as part of the transaction that brought it a former Braniff Boeing 720.
Aftermath
The failed fleet-financing plan contributed to the strategic case for combining with Western Air Lines.
1961
Order Boeing 720 aircraftProduct launchBackground
PNA was modernizing its fleet and competing on longer Alaska–Pacific Northwest routes.
Action taken
The airline ordered two Boeing 720s, which were delivered in 1962, and later acquired a third aircraft from Braniff.
Aftermath
The Boeing 720s gave PNA early jet capability.
1951
Expand service to Seattle and PortlandStrategyBackground
PNA sought to connect its Alaska network with the continental United States.
Action taken
The Civil Aeronautics Board authorized PNA to serve Seattle and Portland, and the airline moved its general offices to Seattle.
Aftermath
The expansion increased PNA’s reach but intensified competition with Alaska Airlines, Pan Am, and Northwest.
- Alaska Airlines — Alaska Airlines also received authority to serve Seattle after presidential intervention in the regulatory case.
1945
Change the airline’s name to Pacific Northern AirlinesStrategyBackground
The original Woodley Airways business was expanding beyond its initial sole-proprietor charter model.
Action taken
The business adopted the Pacific Northern Airlines name and subsequently transferred its certificate to a corporation.
Aftermath
The reorganization provided the identity under which the airline developed its scheduled Alaska and Pacific Northwest network.
Sources1 sources
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