Alaska Airlines Reconsiders Adak Air Service
Friday, July 13 2012
Alaska Airlines is back in the running for Adak’s Essential Air Service contract. The airline currently flies a Boeing 737-Combi to Adak twice a week, but said earlier this year it wouldn’t try to renew its contract for the federally subsidized flight route. But on Wednesday, in a letter to the DOT, the airline said, “Alaska is now undertaking a new analysis to determine whether it will now decide to do so.”
The company asked the DOT to extend the deadline for filing a proposal to July 24, so they can complete their evaluation. Alaska Airlines didn't return calls for comment on why they are reconsidering their position.
This is already the second round of bidding on the contract. PenAir was the sole bidder in the first round and the DOT rejected their proposal, citing the high cost and lack of community support.
It's a Shell game on Monday, July 16 2012:
I think if you look back in the KUCB archives you'll see that Shell is looking at Adak as being a staging ground for their arctic operations, well if they can keep their boats off the beach. Shell = $$$
Raylin Martin on Saturday, July 14 2012:
Could be they heard that some guy was going to start a new airline and base it on Adak!! And that guy had already been talking to the DOT and FAA along with the City of Adak and the Aleut Corp. for hangar rental...