David Pflieger: Combining His Skill Sets to Change the Airline Industry

In true entrepreneurial fashion, David Pflieger combined his training and experience as a pilot with his education and expertise as an attorney to craft a career as a senior executive in the airline industry. A former United States Air Force officer, B-52 Instructor Pilot, and Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Officer, he has flown the A320, B-737, B-757/767, C-130E/H, B-52G/H, and the T-37/38, amassing a total of more than 3,800 flight hours, including 2,270 hours as pilot-in-command. David Pflieger’s resume features key accomplishments in team-building, leadership, flight operations, government affairs, finance, labor-union negotiations, and other areas.

As Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Air Pacific Limited in Nadi, Fiji, since 2010, David Pflieger orchestrated the turnaround of Fiji’s national carrier, Air Pacific; and Pacific Sun, its regional subsidiary. Building a new management team, he reduced operating costs by F$88 million in less than a year, taking the company from an F$65 million net loss to an F$24 million net profit. The firm now includes 900 employees and 15 aircraft transporting a million passengers annually, earning the airline a gross revenue of approximately F$580 million (about US $290 million). With the mindset of an entrepreneur, Mr. Pflieger accomplished this by restructuring management and union contracts, downsizing the airlines, developing and instituting a fuel-conservation program, enhancing on-time performance, and improving customer satisfaction.

An important player in starting up Virgin America, David Pflieger served as Vice President of the Operations Control Center and Airline Project Manager and as Senior Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and an A320 pilot for the airline. He also acted as a B-757/767 Captain and Vice President of Operations for Delta Air Lines’ low-cost carrier, Song, LLC, participating on the start-up team for that airline as well. In addition, the high achiever served as an Operations Attorney, B-737 pilot, and Director of Flight Safety for Delta Air Lines, Inc. Early in his career, he represented clients as an Associate Attorney in Atlanta’s top law firm, King & Spalding.