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Alaska Airlines to provide year-round service to Bristol Bay

Alaska Airlines

RavnAir was forced to shut down due to a steep drop in travel due to COVID-19. It filed for bankcruptcy last month. Alaska Airlines said they would start seasonal air services before June 1.  Now, the airline is planning to stick around. 

Alaska Airlines plans to provide year round support to Dillingham and King Salmon. House Speaker Bryce Edgmon made the announcement at a regional town hall meeting yesterday.

“Alaska Airlines is doing everything they can to get a lease in place for the two facilities which would enable them to bring service out in the very short order,” Edgmon said.

The airline announced last month that seasonal air service in Dillingham would start before July 1, after RavnAir Group shut down due to a steep drop in travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

RavnAir is in bankruptcy court this week. They plan to sell all of their assets to cover the company’s debt. Once those hearings end, Alaska Airlines can work out an agreement to lease those facilities at both the Dillingham and King Salmon airports.

Alaska Air spokesperson Tim Thompson says the airline does not have a definite schedule yet, but they plan to gauge demand once they are able to take off.

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"Those schedules could change just like we do throughout other places in the state of Alaska where we might have a daily service during the summertime, because there’s so much demand," Thompson said. "We may do every other day, or two day service in the wintertime but the goal is to be able to provide year round service to the region.”

As of Friday morning, the airline’s first flight to Dillingham is still scheduled for June 1. 

Contact the author at tyler@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.