Northern Pacific Airways Rebrands As New Pacific Airlines

Airline startup Northern Pacific Airways (which currently exclusively operates flights between Ontario and Las Vegas, despite having ambitions of flying across the Pacific) has rebranded…

In this post:

• Say hello to New Pacific Airlines
• Why is Northern Pacific Airways rebranding?
• Bottom line

Say hello to New Pacific Airlines

Northern Pacific Airways has just announced a rebranding. Going forward, the airline will be known as New Pacific Airlines. Here’s how the company’s CEO, Rob McKinney, describes the new branding:

“New Pacific’s updated name symbolizes our brand’s bold and decisive pivot. The word ‘new’ speaks to modern-day navigators driven by both purpose and aspiration, where the romance and grandeur of the Pacific Ocean meet the heart of exploration and discovery. Our home is in the majestic landscapes of Alaska and we continue to draw inspiration from the people of our great state. We would like to welcome you to New Pacific, where every flight is an opportunity to experience the world anew.”

That’s… quite the explanation. Admittedly branding is very much a personal preference, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the New Pacific Airlines name. It just seems… very generic, and almost like what you’d expect an airline in a movie to be named?

Why is Northern Pacific Airways rebranding?

Northern Pacific Airways isn’t rebranding due to some major strategy change, as the company still plans to fly across the Pacific starting in 2024 (even if that business model seems questionable).

Rather the rebranding is due to ongoing litigation. Back in October 2022, BNSF Railway Company filed a lawsuit against Northern Pacific Airways, arguing that it owns the rights to the Northern Pacific brand name. BNSF Railway Company’s predecessors had used the Northern Pacific brand name dating back to 1893. While a merger caused the company to eventually rebrand as BNSF Railway Company, the rail giant still has the rights to the Northern Pacific name.

Here’s how McKinney describes this:

“This decision is in response to pending trademark litigation and is the right strategic move for our business, customers, the communities we serve, and most importantly, the more than 400 employees of our company.”

It’s pretty rough that this new airline now needs to rebrand, which is just yet another expense.

Bottom line

Northern Pacific Airways has just announced the details of its rebranding. Going forward, the airline will be known as New Pacific Airlines. This is being done in response to pending trademark litigation from BNSF Railway Company.

What do you make of this Northern Pacific Airways rebranding?

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