It appears to be a turbulent time for airlines.
Yet another one based in the United States has suddenly ceased operations, presenting difficulties both for travelers and locals.
Travel and Tour World (TTW) reports how Kenai Aviation — which, according to its website, has been serving as a regional airline in Alaska since 1961 — has suspended all operations after years of struggling with debt.
A statement posted to the airline’s main page by owner Joel Caldwell explains that Kenai Aviation is “financially insolvent.” Therefore, its planes won’t be in service. TTW said those planes are crucial to many residents of the remote state who depend on them as a key mode of transportation.
TTW notes that regional hubs such as Anchorage and Homer are expected to face disruptions due to this abrupt shuttering. How the state’s tourism industry will be affected also remains to be seen.
“At the end of 2017, I was sitting at my kitchen table in Kenai when I received the call that [previous owner] Jim Bielfeld was about to finalize shutting down Kenai Aviation, but if I wanted to act quickly, we could step in and keep this historic airline alive,” the post reads. “It was only a few years later that I watched our first scheduled flight take off.
“Then COVID happened. The pandemic response affected all of us, but for most people it’s just a painful memory. For me, and for Kenai Aviation, the COVID [pandemic] gave us a debt load that we haven’t been able to get back on top of. Carrying that burden increased the effects of every obstacle that we’ve had to navigate.”
The statement further explains that other issues — including plane maintenance — exacerbated Kenai Aviation’s financial struggles.
“..today, the bank is calling that debt,” the statement continues. “We have to cease all operations immediately. I am devastated.
“Our operations may stop, but this vision continues.”
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