Western Pacific Airlines

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Western Pacific Airlines, better known as WestPac, was formed in Colorado in 1994 as Commercial Air and soon adopted the Western Pacific name. The low-fare carrier began scheduled service on April 28, 1995, flying Boeing 737-300s from Colorado Springs. Its corporate offices were documented in downtown Colorado Springs, while its early operating strategy pitched the city as a less congested Front Range alternative to Denver.

WestPac did not believe an airplane needed to look like an airplane. Its 737s became flying billboards, carrying bold sponsor liveries for destinations, resorts, casinos, businesses and even The Simpsons. The scheme brought publicity and advertising revenue—and ensured that a trip to the gate could feel a little like wandering through a mid-1990s mall, in the best possible way.

The carrier expanded its network, established links with regional feeder Mountain Air Express, and shifted its hub to Denver in 1997. A proposed combination with Frontier Airlines was abandoned during due diligence. Western Pacific filed for bankruptcy protection on October 5, 1997, then ceased all operations on February 4, 1998. Its climb was fast; its runway ran out faster.

Our Western Pacific Airlines collection celebrates the audacious low-fare upstart, its Colorado Springs roots, and those gloriously loud logo-jets that turned commercial aviation into airborne ad space.