New LV airline won’t fly to city

Monday, March 24, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

A new Las Vegas-based airline headed by former Utah Sen. Jake Garn plans to fly business people between centers of commerce on the East Coast and Europe by fall, but isn't planning flights to and from Las Vegas.

Primaris Airlines Inc. filed documents with the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday to begin the certification process of the airline, which would fly twin-engine Boeing 757 jets between the East and West Coasts as well as international routes.

Primaris President Mark Morris, formerly with Air One and DHL Worldwide Express, an international cargo company, said the airline would offer all first-class seats and the company's jets would be configured to hold 100 passengers. Most commercial airlines that use 757 jets have 175 to 200 seats on them.

Morris said that the company's business model is to offer flexible scheduling for business travelers so that they can make itinerary changes and not have to book several days in advance to obtain reasonably priced tickets. The company plans to establish memberships that will enable the company to expedite security checks on passengers.

Morris said the company "won't be selling any seats below its costs." The airline plans to announce schedules and routes in a few months, but is looking at offering flights between New York, Boston and Washington D.C. and London, Paris and Frankfurt. He said the company also would consider flights between those East Coast cities and the West Coast.

Morris said while there were initial reports that the airline would fly high-rollers between Europe and Las Vegas, the airline has no plans for operations to McCarran International Airport.

He said that if the airline were approached by casino companies interested in flying their best customers to Las Vegas, it would consider such proposals.

Morris said Las Vegas would be the company's operational headquarters while its marketing and sales would be conducted from Phoenix.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation said Primaris filed late Friday for an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity as well as Federal Aviation Administration certification. The certification process usually takes several months to complete.

Chief Operating Officer John Pearsall, who previously worked with America West Airlines and Las Vegas-based National Airlines, is heading Primaris' certification team. Pearsall led National's certification efforts in 1998 and 1999 and will be working with the same Federal Aviation Administration certification team and the same aircraft type to complete the Primaris application.

Morris said the company is in the process of raising $65 million from private and institutional investors. He said because a buyer's market exists for aircraft, the company has not had to raise as much money as other start-up airlines.

Garn, a former Utah senator who now resides in Salt Lake City, is the chairman-designate for the new company, the company said. He served as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery on a seven-day mission in April 1985. Garn previously was a Navy pilot and also flew with the Utah Air National Guard.

Other members of the company's board of directors include Ted Wallace and Neil Livingstone.

Wallace is the former chief executive officer of Pricesmart and an executive vice president with Price Club and Costco Wholesale Warehouse. He also will serve as the airline's chairman of business oversight for the company.

Livingstone heads GlobalOperations Inc., a Washington D.C. risk management and security firm. He will provide expertise on passenger and aircraft security.

Primaris plans to start with three jets and grow to 15 planes by the end of the year.