Ravn pulled out of the Aleutians in August. Here’s how residents are coping.

Regional airline Ravn Alaska announced recently it was stopping service to the Aleutian Islands. That leaves three communities it served, Unalaska, Cold Bay and Sand Point, with only one commercial airline. 

Before COVID, the ferry was a reliable and affordable option for folks along the Aleutian Chain. But ferry sailings to the Aleutians were halved in 2020, following a turbulent period that also saw commercial airline travel to Unalaska halt temporarily. 

This means options for coming and going in the region are limited, although Aleutian Airways, the remaining provider, says their prices won’t change.

KUCB’s Andy Lusk has been following the changing travel landscape in the region.

This script has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Ava White: Ravn announced it would stop flying to the Aleutians this summer, but air travel in the region has never been easy. Remind us of the recent history of disrupted travel to Dutch Harbor.

Andy Lusk: The days of PenAir flying the Grumman Goose into Dutch Harbor are behind us. This current saga really started in 2019 when a fatal crash killed a passenger. When that happened, all commercial air service to Unalaska stopped for weeks. The city passed an emergency resolution to operate charter flights and some Unalaskans formed a Facebook group to organize charters themselves — a group that’s still around, by the way. It was a pretty big deal for a community of about 5,000 people. 

AW: RavnAir Group declared bankruptcy early in the pandemic, not long after that crash — is that right?  

AL: That’s right. They filed in spring of 2020. Later that year, a California-based commuter airline bought some of Ravn’s planes and two of their operating certificates. A new company, Ravn Alaska, formed under the leadership of CEO Rob McKinney and eventually started flying to Unalaska again. 

AW: Got it. And I understand that the company replaced McKinney this summer.

AL: There was a slew of shakeups leading up to that. Earlier this year, Ravn laid off more than a quarter of its employees. Then Tom Hsieh replaced McKinney as CEO, which led to Alaska Airlines suspending their mileage-sharing agreement with Ravn. That’s when you can earn or use miles from one airline to buy tickets on another. 

AW: That’s a winding road to where we are right now. So, what’s the current travel situation in Unalaska? If I wanted to get there today, how could I go?

AL: With Ravn leaving, your options in the Aleutians are diminished. But the company will continue to serve a few different locations to and from Anchorage: St. Paul, St. Mary’s, Unalakleet, Valdez and Homer. 

Aleutian Airways, which became Ravn’s only commercial competitor in Unalaska in 2022, still serves Unalaska, Cold Bay and Sand Point. Their schedules aren’t changing, so what you had before with them is what you have today. 

AW: And there are charter flights in and out of Unalaska.

AL: They’ll cost more but are still an option. The only other way — bar flying your own puddle jumper or riding on a fishing boat — is to take the ferry, which comes in the summer.

Obviously the travel situation isn’t ideal, but it’s not the worst it’s ever been. Airline competition was a relatively new thing here and it looks like it wasn’t meant to last. Other, smaller Alaskan communities like Adak have only one airline, too. 

AW: This is indicative of something bigger, though.

AL: Absolutely. Alaskans off the road system are hurting for reliable, affordable travel options. The ferry, the Trusty Tusty, is getting up there in age and sailings are less frequent today than they were five years ago. So, you might look at air travel options instead. 

Average round trip airfare between Unalaska and Anchorage is about $1400 per person. Now imagine trying to travel as a family. You’re staring down thousands upon thousands of dollars just to get to and from Anchorage, nevermind your final destination. It’s a problem that doesn’t look like it’ll be solved soon.

AW: What makes air travel to Unalaska so difficult, just from a technical standpoint?

AL: A short runway which isn’t slated to be extended anytime soon. It would take some serious planning. Unalaska’s runway starts and ends at a waterline, so you’d have to build out into the ocean or move it somewhere else. That means for the time being, only smaller planes can make it in and out — not bigger jets like you see in Anchorage or even Adak, which happens to have a long runway thanks to a bygone Naval presence. 

AW: So, what’s next?

AL: Folks in the Aleutians aren’t strangers to having only one airline serve the region, and they’re used to steep ticket prices — even if they aren’t happy about it. I’m not getting the sense that another company will step in. 

However, an Aleutian Airways spokesperson did say they’re looking to expand their fleet next year. Right now they have four Saab 2000s spread across routes.