California Pacific Airline announces new hires

Ted Vallas, the 90-year-old founder of California Pacific Airlines, stands before his first counter at Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. The airline is currently seeking certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and hopes to be in the air in early 2012. — Charlie Neuman / U-T 

California Pacific Airlines has begun hiring frontline executives in anticipation of its April 1, 2012 launch at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.

Diane Smith, a veteran of Jet Blue and Southwest airlines, has been named vice president of customer experience and Dave Hopkins, formerly of Air Transport Business Development, Inc. has been named director of aircraft programs and commercial agreements.

Smith comes to California Pacific from Galileo Processing, a financial transaction company in Salt Lake City, where she held the same title. She managed customer service for Jet Blue in Salt Lake City for a decade and held similar posts for Morris Air and Southwest.

Hopkins will be in charge of all leasing and acquisition agreements for the new airline.

CPAir expects to have its first two leased Embraer 170 aircraft at Palomar by the end of the year. The airline is currently undergoing the certification process with the Federal Aviation Administration in order to become a scheduled airline.

The airline expects to launch with non-stop service to five Western cities from McClellan-Palomar: San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

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