Rob Kidner Tapped As vIce President, Corporate Development

Pacific Coastal Airlines is pleased to announce its new Executive Leadership team, part of an ongoing reorganization plan designed to improve overall efficiency, better support its operations, and position the B.C. based airline for current and future growth opportunities.

Rob Kidner (pictured) has been named vice president, Corporate Development. A thirty-nine year veteran of the regional airline industry, Rob assumes the new role of vice president, Corporate Development after 5 years as vice president, Operations with Pacific Coastal. He is now responsible for all support services including I.T., Employee Services, Corporate Communications, leadership and employee development, and corporate strategy.

The executive team also includes:

Darcy Coonfer – vice president, Flight Operations. A commercial pilot with over twenty years of experience in the aviation industry, Darcy is now responsible for operational control and regulatory compliance of all flight operations branch activities, including strategic operations and crew planning, flight dispatch, and expansion of our WestJet Link flight operations teams.

Ron Karger – vice president, Maintenance. A licensed Aviation Mechanical Engineer, Ron has held senior leadership positions with WestJet and Encore, Air Canada Jazz/Canadian Regional, and Time Air over a career spanning thirty years. In his new role, Ron will grow and mentor our maintenance team, provide operational control and strategic planning, assist in the development of a new fleet strategy and oversee the introduction of new maintenance software to improve efficiency and overall maintenance reliability.

Laura Nadin-Young – vice president, Airports and Operations Center. With thirty-two years of leadership at AirBC and Jazz Aviation, where she served as General Manager, Airports - Western Canada, Laura is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for both Pacific Coastal and WestJet Link operations, and development of the Operations Center.  

Johnathan Richardson – vice president, Commercial Services. Johnathan began his career with Pacific Coastal in 2008. Since that time he has held Marketing Management roles at Calm Air and Central Mountain Air before rejoining Pacific Coastal in November, 2017.  In this new position, Johnathan is responsible for revenue management, business development, and marketing and product development teams to coordinate the design and implementation of strategic initiatives aimed at increasing revenue.

Zahra Kawa – vice president, Finance. Holding a CPA designation, Zahra comes with experience in the aviation industry through various senior finance roles at CHC Helicopters, Heli-One, and Ledcor's Summit Aviation Group. Prior to joining Pacific Coastal Airlines in April of 2019, Zahra held the position of Director of Finance at Ledcor Resources & Transportation overseeing Corporate Finance for Aviation, Marine, and Forestry businesses.  Zahra is responsible for developing and implementing a long-term financial strategy for the organization and oversees Financial Planning, Financial Reporting, Procurement and Supply Chain.

Operating from Vancouver International Airport's South Terminal (YVR), Pacific Coastal is the sixth-largest airline operating at YVR, based on outbound seats, and third largest in takeoffs and landings. It flies to 16 airports in British Columbia, including destinations from as far east as Cranbrook in the Rocky Mountains, as far north as Prince George, and Masset on the legendary island of Haida Gwaii, and as far west as Tofino. With its affiliate airline Wilderness Seaplanes, located in Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island, Pacific Coastal connects to more than 50 additional destinations along the south coast. Pacific Coastal also operates WestJet Link, which provides service from its base in Calgary to Cranbrook, Prince George, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, and Medicine Hat, and between Vancouver and Cranbrook. Pacific Coastal's network encompasses major ski destinations, a multitude of fishing lodges, outdoor and wildlife adventure tours, and authentic First Nations cultural experiences.

(Image provided with Pacific Coastal Airlines news release)

FMI: www.pacific-coastal.com