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California Pacific Airlines is canceling flights, citing mechanical problems

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It took eight years for San Diego County’s newest airline to take flight but it didn’t take long for it to be grounded.

California Pacific Airlines canceled all of its flights Monday and Tuesday and has been beset with cancellations since it began operations last month out of McClellan-Palomar Airport.

The Carlsbad-based airline cited mechanical issues on social media Dec. 6 for delays. Calls and emails to the airline to get more information were not returned.

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California Pacific’s Facebook page has complaints from people upset with cancellations and delays, particularly on Thanksgiving.

The airline was founded eight years ago by entrepreneur Ted Vallas, now 97 years old, but was delayed in back-and-forth disputes with San Diego County, the owners of the airport.

California Pacific kick-started its operation with the purchase of Georgia-based airline Aerodynamics in March, which also does charter flights in South Dakota and Colorado.

Since California Pacific started in Nov. 2, it has flown 415 flights, said industry tracker FlightAware. It is unclear how many of those involved its West Coast operation or how many were canceled in contrast to the number flown.

The airline’s inaugural flight in early November, part of a major media push, was also delayed because of mechanical problems.

In its Dec. 6 post on social media, the company said: “We sincerely apologize for the recent mechanical issues that have caused several cancellations and delays. Your safety is our priority, and we are working to resolve all issues as soon as possible so we can get you back in the air.”

California Pacific’s flights to and from Carlsbad include San Jose, Reno, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Its flights acquired with the purchase of Aerodynamics include trips between Watertown and Pierre in South Dakota, as well as flights to Denver.

Brennan Posen, 20, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said his first flight on the airline was fine, although he thought the staff was rude. But he calls his second trip, from South Dakota to Denver, the worst experience he has ever had with an airline.

Posen, a real estate agent, said he showed up for his flight on Oct. 29 early and checked bags but was told an hour later that the flight would be delayed because of mechanical issues and the airline might have to cancel all flights. But, before people could make plans, passengers were told by the airline the plane was on its way and would just leave an hour late.

Posen said the flight ended up being more than three hours late, making most people who took California Pacific miss connecting flights. He ended up having to get a hotel room, missing a business opportunity and spending $400 more on the trip than he expected.

“I missed an important meeting with a client because of this and never even got so much as an apology back from California Pacific,” he said.

Vallas and other leadership at the airline promoted the idea of an airline in Carlsbad for years as a way for people in North San Diego County to no longer make the hour commute to San Diego International Airport for flights.

Vallas said in 2016 that the airline had spent $18 million to $20 million to get up and running. Every few years the airline would announce it was starting operations in a few months only for service not to materialize.

For example, in March 2016, it announced it was as little as four months away from opening. But, San Diego County officials said at the time it had rejected its application because it lacked a project description and needed more time for environmental review.

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phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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