Woodley Airways was an air carrier based in

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

, United States. The airline was founded in 1932 by Arthur G. "Art" Woodley who died on May 30, 1990 at the age of 84 following a long and colorful career in aviation. Woodley Airways initially operated charter services in Alaska including flights between Anchorage and

Nome Nome may refer to: Country subdivision * Nome (Egypt), an administrative division within ancient Egypt * Nome (Greece), the administrative division immediately below the ''peripheries of Greece'' (, pl. ) Places United States * Nome, Alaska ...

with a

Bellanca AviaBellanca Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft design and manufacturing company. Prior to 1983, it was known as the Bellanca Aircraft Company. The company was founded in 1927 by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca, although it was preceded by ...

single engine aircraft. It was a one plane, one pilot operation run by Art Woodley. The air service to Nome quickly caught on as an alternative to a dogsled trip. Woodley charged customers 150 dollars for the five and one-half hour flight; the month-long sled trip cost 750 dollars. In 1943, Woodley Airways attempted to change its name to Alaska Airlines; however, that name went to Star Air Service which briefly operated as Alaska Star Airlines and currently operates as

Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest airline in North America when measured by scheduled passengers carried, as of 2024. Alaska, togethe ...

. In 1945 Woodley Airways changed its name to Pacific Northern Airlines (PNA). In 1958, Pacific Northern was operating four engine

Lockheed Constellation The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first civil airliner family to enter widespread use equipped with a pressurized cab ...

and

Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is an American four-engined (piston), propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Military versions of the plane, the C-54 and R5D, served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960 ...

aircraft as well as twin engine

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...

aircraft with the Constellations being operated nonstop between Anchorage and Seattle in addition to Anchorage -

Juneau Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the capital of Alaska in 1906, when the government of wha ...

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a po ...

- Seattle service as well as on Anchorage - Cordova, AK - Yakutat, AK - Juneau - Ketchikan - Seattle flights with the airline also operating nonstop Constellation flights between Seattle and

Portland, OR Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

at this time. By 1965, Pacific Northern was operating

Boeing 720 The Boeing 720 is a retired American narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Announced in July 1957 as a 707 derivative for shorter flights from shorter runways, the 720 first flew on November 23, 1959. Its type certificate ...

jetliners in addition to Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-3 propliners with the 720 jets being operated nonstop between Anchorage and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

as well as on Anchorage - Juneau - Seattle and Juneau - Ketchikan - Seattle flights.Time table
/ref> Also in 1965, Pacific Northern president and founder Art Woodley attempted to order four new

Boeing 727-100 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavier 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airp ...

jets from the manufacturer but then had to cancel the contract because he could not raise the financing with this development then prompting Mr. Woodley to consider selling his airline. Thus, in 1967, Pacific Northern was acquired by and merged into

Western Airlines Western Airlines was a major airline in the United States based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mex ...

, a major air carrier based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Following the sale of PNA, Mr. Woodley joined the board of directors at Western."Character & Characters: The Spirit of Alaska Airlines" by Robert J. Serling, chapter four, pages 77-78 (first edition published in 2008 by Documentary Media LLC)

Destinations served by Pacific Northern Airlines in 1965

According to its October 1, 1965 timetable route map, Pacific Northern was serving the following destinations with those cities noted in bold receiving

jet service: *

Anchorage, AK Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan ...

* Cordova, AK * Homer, AK * Juneau, AK * Kenai, AK *

Ketchikan, AK Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a p ...

(served via the

Annette Island Airport Annette Island Airport is located on Annette Island in the Prince of Wales – Hyder Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located south of Metlakatla, Alaska. The airport was established as the Annette Island Army Airfield during W ...

) * King Salmon, AK *

Kodiak, AK Kodiak (Alutiiq: ) is the main city and one of seven communities on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. All commercial transportation between the island's communities and the outside world goes through this city via ferryboat or ai ...

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

(served via the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport) * Yakutat, AK In 1967,

was continuing to serve all of the above destinations following its acquisition of Pacific Northern.

References

{{Portal bar, United States, Alaska, Companies, Aviation Airlines based in Alaska 1932 establishments in Alaska Airlines established in 1932 Defunct airlines of the United States Airlines disestablished in 1945 1945 disestablishments in Alaska

Destinations served by Pacific Northern Airlines in 1965

See also

References