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CARLSBAD — The long-awaited California Pacific Airlines is poised to take to the skies on April 1, and while Ted Vallas is all smiles, this is no April Fool’s joke. Flying out of Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport, Vallas’ dream will soon be a reality and he invites North County residents to be a part of it — and not just as passengers.
Vallas, 96, is currently seeking local investors as part of his vision of having CP Air be a true North County airline. “Not just in conversation, but in ownership as well,” Vallas said. “I want this to be a North San Diego County owned and operated airline. I am a great believer in the community being behind this operation and getting involved.”
The road leading up to this point has had a few twists and turns, but the airline is at last ready to roll out phase 1. As of April 1, 2018, CP Air will service five U.S. cities — Sacramento, Phoenix, Tucson, Oakland, San Jose — as well as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“Things are moving forward very quickly, it’s looking very exciting,” Paul Hook, director of operations and operations advisor for California Pacific Airlines said. “We are starting with six aircraft and we will be expanding to 25.”
Phase 2 will include service to Utah, Houston and various other cities. While Vallas has lofty goals for CP Air, he’s had a lifetime of experience with success. “I promised myself I’d stay alive until this becomes the best airline in the country,” he said.
Vallas has run more than 40 businesses in his 95 years following a stint with the Navy. Included in his varied career is the manufacturing and remanufacturing of aircraft. He was also the developer of many local landmarks, including what is now known as Morgan Run Club & Resort in Rancho Santa Fe. He also spent 19 years as the sole owner of a flag and domestic airline that operated primarily from Lindberg Field.
Of major importance at CP Air is quality of service. To maximize passenger comfort, CP Air will fly EJ 145 jets that have been modified from 50 seats to 44 seats as well as EJ 170 jets that have been modified from 80 seats to 64 seats. “Our aircraft will have a lot of leg room and extra space,” Vallas said. “Our planes will be superior to anything that the larger airlines have.”
The CP Air experience will harken back to the golden age of air travel, when flying was considered a special event.
“The quality of service you will get with us is different than what other airlines are offering these days,” Guillermo Velarde, CP Air board member and financial and business consultant, said. “We want to offer a completely different experience and the best service possible.”
“We are not a low-cost airline and that’s not how we’ve structured ourselves,” Vallas said. “However, we are able to price our flights comparably to Lindbergh Field. But with what we offer and the convenience of McClellan-Palomar Airport, there really is no comparison.”
Beyond comfort, service and accessibility, CP Air has plenty to bring to North County. “We are looking forward to bringing additional employment, tax revenues and airport recognition,” Hook said. CP Air will bring an estimated 150 jobs to North County in its first year, which could multiply to 1,000 local jobs by year four.
“Because of the demographics of the area, we have 1.3 million in North County alone, and a catchment area in excess of 3 million, who we can service who will not have to travel to San Diego, Orange County or Los Angeles,” Vallas said. He pointed out that this is a savings in time and in dollars. “It gets people off of the freeways,” he said.
“Our market area is about 50 percent business people up and down and all throughout the West Coast,” Vallas added. “We will be bringing tourism into North County from five U.S. cities to start. The hotels, the restaurants will all benefit.”
With business bound to be booming, Vallas is reaching out to bring more local investors into the fold. “At present time I own 92 percent of the company,” he said. “I have about $15 million of my family’s and my own money invested. And now we’ve been authorized by the SEC to sell stock locally, and we’d like to keep it a definite low number of investors, primarily in North County.”
Vallas promises full transparency to all his investors. “We disclose every possible risk that there could be to the business,” he said. “An airline is not an everyday business. But it’s very rewarding when it’s successful. And there is no reason to it not to be successful. The demand and demographics indicated that there is more demand for seats in North County than we can produce in the next three years.” Corporate strategic partnerships available.
For more information and specifics about this unique investment opportunity, please contact Ted Vallas at [email protected] or call (760) 814-2052. Fax (760) 814-2085.
We are now FAA 121 Scheduled Airline subject to FAA approval.
