About Us
Built on altitude. Grounded in service.
In 1987, Captain Helen Avery and engineer Greg Kowalski launched Palvoryn Air with three leased 737-200s and a simple belief: the mountain west deserved its own full-service airline. Nearly four decades later, we fly 47 million passengers a year to 142 destinations across 42 countries — and we're still obsessed with the same things: safety, service, and flying that actually feels human.
184
Aircraft
28,000
Employees
142
Destinations
39 Years
Of Flying
Our story
Captain Helen Avery was flying freight out of Denver when she saw a gap: the Mountain West had great airports, growing cities, and nothing resembling a premium hometown airline. In 1987, she teamed up with Greg Kowalski — a young engineer fresh from Boeing — pooled $4.2 million from 23 investors, leased three 737-200s, and launched Palvoryn Air. The first flight, DEN–SFO, carried 112 passengers on February 14, 1987. Nearly 40 years later, Palvoryn flies 128,000 passengers every day. We've been through deregulation, the 2001 aviation crisis, the 2008 fuel spike, and the 2020 pandemic. We didn't just survive those — we used each one to rebuild something better. Today we operate one of the youngest fleets in the Americas, lead US carriers on sustainable aviation fuel commitments, and win more onboard-service awards than any airline our size. The mountain spirit that launched Palvoryn — independent, resourceful, genuinely kind — is still what we fly by.
Our history
1987
Founded in Denver
Captain Helen Avery and Greg Kowalski launch Palvoryn Air with three leased Boeing 737-200s, flying six mountain-west routes from the old Stapleton International Airport.
1995
Moved to DEN
Relocated our hub from Stapleton to the brand-new Denver International Airport. Expanded to 24 destinations across the western United States with 32 narrowbody aircraft.
2001
First International Route
Launched nonstop service to London Heathrow using our first widebody: the Boeing 767-300ER. Joined the IATA Operational Safety Audit registry.
2008
Listed on NASDAQ
Palvoryn Air Holdings listed on NASDAQ under ticker PVRN. Raised $340M at IPO to fund a new fleet of Airbus A321neo and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
2014
Trans-Pacific Service
Launched the first DEN–Tokyo Haneda route, making Denver the only inland US hub with direct service to mainland Japan.
2019
Signature Program Relaunch
Rebuilt our loyalty program from the ground up based on 18 months of member feedback. Eliminated blackout dates, added dynamic award pricing, and expanded partner airlines to 38.
2023
Cleaner Skies Commitment
Became the first US carrier to commit to 35% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030 and net-zero operations by 2035, verified by the Science Based Targets initiative.
2026
142 Destinations, 184 Aircraft
Now serving 142 destinations in 42 countries with a fleet of 184 aircraft. 47 million passengers annually. 28,000 employees worldwide.
Leadership team
Our executive team brings decades of experience in aviation, operations, technology, finance, and customer experience.
Diana Avery
Chief Executive Officer
Daughter of co-founder Helen Avery. 22 years at Palvoryn. MIT Sloan MBA. Named CEO in 2021 after leading the post-pandemic recovery as COO.
Raj Venkataraman
Chief Financial Officer
Manages $18B in annual revenue and $24B balance sheet. CPA, CFA. Previously CFO at Hawaiian Airlines. Joined Palvoryn in 2019.
Kaitlyn O'Byrne
Chief Operating Officer
Oversees all flight operations, maintenance, and ground handling. Former 747 Captain with United. Wharton executive program alum.
Marcus Delacroix
Chief Customer Officer
Leads onboard experience, loyalty, and digital. Previously SVP Product at Delta Air Lines. Cornell Hospitality BS.
Priya Chaudhari
Chief Technology Officer
Runs reservations, operations control, mobile, and cybersecurity. Former Director of Engineering at Uber. Carnegie Mellon PhD.
Thomas Greenridge
Chief People Officer
Oversees HR, DE&I, and labor relations for 28,000 employees. 18-year Palvoryn veteran, starting as a ramp agent at DEN.
Amelia Park
General Counsel
Corporate governance, regulatory affairs, and litigation. Stanford Law. Previously partner at Wilson Sonsini.
Jamal Okafor
Chief Sustainability Officer
Leads Cleaner Skies Initiative, SAF procurement, and fleet modernization. Former director at Boston Consulting Group's climate practice.
Our values
Four principles guide every decision at Palvoryn — from route planning to onboard menus to how we talk with a customer at 2 AM after a weather diversion.
Safety
Every aircraft inspected 14 times before every departure. FAA Diamond Award for maintenance excellence, 12 years in a row. Safety isn't a slogan — it's how we fly.
People First
The people who fly with us and the people who work at Palvoryn are the same story. We invest in our crew, our ground teams, and our communities — because great service comes from great people.
Sustainability
We fly for a living and we take seriously what that costs the planet. First US carrier committed to net-zero by 2035. Every ticket includes a verified carbon offset.
Thoughtful Innovation
We adopt technology when it genuinely improves the experience — not because it's trendy. Our mobile app is the highest-rated in US aviation, and our ops platform is an industry benchmark.
Cleaner Skies Initiative
Our sustainability roadmap
2026 — Today
Every Palvoryn ticket includes a verified carbon offset through Gold Standard-certified projects at no extra cost. 8% of our jet fuel is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), procured from Neste and SkyNRG. Fleet average age: 7.2 years — among the youngest in North American aviation.
By 2030
35% of our total fuel will be sustainable aviation fuel, backed by a $1.2B multi-year offtake agreement. Ground operations at all hub airports will run on 100% renewable electricity. Single-use plastics eliminated across every cabin.
By 2035
Net-zero operations, verified annually by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Full fleet transition to next-generation aircraft with 30%+ better fuel efficiency than the current industry average. $180M invested in hydrogen and electric regional aircraft R&D through our venture arm.
Want to be part of what's next?
We're always hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, engineers, and ground staff who love aviation as much as we do.