Ravn Alaska suspends service to the Aleutian Islands

Regional hose Ravn Alaska announced Tuesday that it is suspending aerial work to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay and Sand Point successful nan Aleutians, effective Aug. 16. (Theo Greenly/KUCB)

Ravn Alaska, 1 of only 2 commercialized airlines offering regular rider work from Anchorage to nan Aleutian Islands, says it’s suspending scheduled work to Unalaska, Cold Bay and Sand Point, effective Aug. 16.

The institution announced nan determination successful an email to customers. A connection posted to nan company’s website Tuesday day said nan hose was looking to attraction connected different Alaska destinations.

Ravn is still offering flights from Anchorage to Homer, Valdez, St. Paul Island and Unalakleet.

“This alteration comes arsenic portion of a broader inaugural to optimize operations and guarantee semipermanent sustainability and maturation for nan airline. By reallocating resources and capacity, Ravn Alaska/New Pacific Airlines intends to heighten work reliability and customer restitution crossed its halfway network,” nan connection said.

Ravn representatives declined question and reply requests.

“This was not an easy decision, but it is simply a basal measurement successful our semipermanent strategy to fortify nan wide occurrence of our hose and this displacement allows america to ore connected routes wherever we tin make nan astir important impact,” nan institution said.

The company’s frequently asked questions page on its website says nan hose will rumor refunds to summons holders, which will beryllium processed by nan extremity of nan month.

“Refunds will beryllium processed wrong 14 business days from nan suspension day (Aug. 16),” nan page says. “The nonstop clip framework whitethorn alteration depending connected your slope aliases costs method.”

Recent turmoil has plagued nan institution of late: Ravn laid disconnected astir a 3rd of its employees earlier this year, past announced successful June it had replaced its CEO.

New Pacific Airlines, Ravn’s sister brand, announced successful April that it would halt scheduled work to attraction on chartering its Boeing 757.

Air recreation to nan Aleutians has been mired successful turmoil since a fatal mishap successful 2019 led to nan bankruptcy of nan region’s erstwhile bearer RavnAir. The caller Ravn Alaska began operating successful nan region successful 2020 aft respective months without a commercialized hose serving nan Aleutians.

Ravn’s determination to pare backmost its routes leaves Aleutian Airways arsenic nan only hose pinch scheduled rider flights from Anchorage to Unalaska, Sand Point and Cold Bay.