Aviation
RSSCommercial aviation (Alaska Airlines), bush pilot operations (Part 135), medevac, air taxis, cargo carriers, FAA oversight, aviation safety
A pilot survives an upside-down plane crash in the Kenai refuge
A pilot survived a crash that flipped his plane upside down in the trees of the Kenai refuge Sunday, then texted 911 himself to say he wasn't seriously hurt.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAI
The FAA is rewiring Alaska's air routes from beacons to GPS
The FAA is rebuilding Alaska's air routes, trading old ground beacons for GPS — and an Oct. 29 batch of changes gives King Salmon a better-connected path.
by Bill AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAI
Deadhorse airport upgrade will fill nearly 79 acres of wetlands with no mitigation
A Deadhorse Airport upgrade at the North Slope's oil-field gateway will fill nearly 79 acres of wetlands — with no mitigation planned, the state says, for lack of any local program to do it through.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAI
Juneau pilots pay $12 a gallon for fuel, and want an alternative to the airport's only seller
Juneau pilots pay over $12 a gallon for avgas, about 50% more than Anchorage, from the airport's only seller. Fifty-plus want a self-serve option added.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago2 min readAI
Helicopter sinks in Chelatna Lake; bystander pulls both survivors from water
A helicopter sank in Chelatna Lake near Skwentna on Sunday after a boater pulled both occupants from the water; both survived with minor injuries.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAI
NTSB: Bering Air crash that killed 10 was a chain of preventable failures
The NTSB found the Bering Air crash that killed 10 near Nome resulted from a chain of preventable failures — an overweight plane the company routinely flew heavy, severe icing, and a pilot overloaded in the final minutes.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
State weighs 19-year rent-free FAA lease at Hooper Bay Airport
Alaska DOT&PF is deciding whether to sign a 19-year, no-rent lease letting the FAA build and maintain navigation, communication and weather aids at Hooper Bay Airport. The public comment window closed Aug. 4.
by Alaska News1w ago1 min readAI
Alaska's small planes get until 2034 to upgrade altimeters — if they fly Outside
Alaska's air taxis and floatplanes must upgrade altimeters by 2034 to resist 5G interference, but only if they fly outside the state. In-state flying is exempt.
by Melinda Communities.News2w ago1 min readAI
Alaska keeps trading its old flight beacons for GPS, one route at a time
The FAA is amending a GPS airway near Kodiak this fall, part of Alaska's slow statewide switch from old ground beacons to satellite-guided flight routes.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAI
FAA retires two Alaska flight routes in a satellite-navigation shift
The FAA will retire two Alaska flight routes Oct. 29 and extend a third, part of a shift from ground-based to satellite navigation over non-radar terrain.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Pilot killed in Piper Pacer crash 40 miles southeast of Cordova
A pilot flying solo between Yakutat and Fairbanks was found dead Friday after an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter located the crashed Piper Pacer near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Deadhorse Airport paving set for mid-July after holiday pause
Deadhorse Airport paving is set for mid-July as crews work through the Arctic construction season to fix aging pavement and drainage that support North Slope oil and gas operations.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau's tower grant comes with a catch: it drains the airport's savings
The FAA will cover most of the $1M fix for Juneau's 1987-era control tower — but the airport's small share would drain nearly half its already-thin savings.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Bering Air seeks Nome and Unalakleet lease updates — at the same airports the NTSB is investigating
Bering Air is seeking lease extensions at Nome and Unalakleet airports while the NTSB investigates the February 2025 crash of Flight 445 that killed 10 people, citing overweight aircraft as a major factor.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
The FAA wants to end the 50-year ban on supersonic flight — and Alaska has the sky for it
Supersonic flight over the U.S. has been banned since 1973. The FAA wants to lift it — and few states have more empty sky for boomless supersonic jets than Alaska.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Proposes $4.4 Billion Synthetic Aviation Fuel Refinery Using Beetle-Killed Trees
Alaska plans $4.4 billion refinery to make 150 million gallons of jet fuel yearly from beetle-killed trees. • Fischer-Tropsch technology costs $4.85 per gallon, cheaper than cooking oil methods. • State imports most aviation fuel despite handling 700 cargo flights weekly through Anchorage. • Federal energy office offers $289 billion in lending authority for qualified projects.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago3 min readAI
Alutiiq Air ends Kenai service; airport eyes Fox Air contract
Alutiiq Air stopped flying to Kenai, leaving Grant Aviation as sole carrier. City pursuing Fox Air contract pending investigation of citizen complaint. Main runway closed three weeks for repairs, operations on temporary runway pending FAA approvals. Terminal cafe closing May 23, seeking new operator by July 1.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai airport eyes automated fee system amid pilot privacy backlash
Kenai Airport is moving toward an automated landing fee system using aircraft tracking data, but a federal bill co-sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan would ban that exact use, forcing the airport to choose a different technology if the law passes.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
One fuel supplier, no backup: Juneau pilots want an alternative
Juneau's airport has one aviation-gas supplier, a markup pilots peg near 33%, and no backup. So 50+ pilots want a fuel farm — and dispute a plan claiming there's no problem.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Juneau GA pilots say master plan ignores fuel monopoly, push for self-serve AvGas
More than 50 Juneau pilots are pushing the airport master plan to study self-serve AvGas fuel, saying a single provider charges 33% markups and limits competition.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Nome Airport Crossing Permit
A dull state permit reveals something distinctly Alaskan: a Nome resident wants to taxi his plane from his own yard onto the airport — the kind of access rural life runs on.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Kotzebue's backup runway is closing for construction, starting at night
In a roadless region the airport is the road. Kotzebue's bad-weather backup runway is closing for construction — nights first, then around the clock.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Murkowski previously questioned the Qatari Air Force One; Trump has now flown it
Trump took his first flight on the Qatar-donated Air Force One this week — a gift Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was among the Republicans to question when it surfaced.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAI
For a roadless village, an airport lease is really about the lifeline
For roadless Chefornak, the airport is the only way in or out — so a routine state lease keeping the FAA's weather and navigation gear running matters more than it sounds.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Airlines Pilots Raise Concerns Over Hawaiian Merger Integration
Alaska Airlines pilots are raising concerns about seniority integration, route operations, and job stability as the carrier completes its merger with Hawaiian Airlines.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAIA new tower roof could eat half of Juneau airport's reserve, as pilots push for more
Juneau's airport board may spend nearly half its small reserve on a new tower roof — as 50+ pilots dispute a master plan that claims no unmet demand for fuel.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
State opens bids for Chenega Bay airport maintenance contract
Alaska is seeking a new maintenance contractor for Chenega Bay Rural Airport in Prince William Sound, with bids due July 16 and award expected by July 28.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Generations Southeast brings CDL simulator training to Juneau, Prince of Wales
Generations Southeast Community Learning Center has installed virtual driving simulators at its Juneau and Prince of Wales campuses to provide commercial driver's license training locally, eliminating the need for Southeast Alaska residents to leave the region for CDL certification.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
DOT proposes 20-year FAA deals at three rural airports, no rent
You know what they say, everything good in this life is free
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
Kenai airport cafe closes; city seeks new operator by June 25
Debbie's Bistro closed at Kenai Municipal Airport after gross receipts fell to $68,000 in a year, compared to $400,000 to $500,000 when prior restaurants operated there. The city seeks a new operator with bids due June 25.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
At America's northernmost airport, the fuel is Iñupiat-owned
A dull fuel-lease notice at Utqiaġvik's airport hides a good story: the company keeping the northernmost airport supplied is an original ASRC business, built to serve the Iñupiat.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAI
DOT&PF seeks airport land amendments in Koyukuk, St. Marys, Central, Chalkyitsik
Alaska Department of Transportation posted airport land notices in May 2026 for Koyukuk, St. Marys, Central, and Chalkyitsik. Check the state online public notices system for comment deadlines and full terms.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAIState offers FAA two decades of free land at Allakaket Airport
Alaska DOT is offering the FAA 20 years of free land at Allakaket Airport for navigation equipment, locking out state revenue and limiting the village's ability to expand or reconfigure the runway through 2046.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
FAA proposes $165,000 fine against Alaska Airlines over intoxicated passengers
FAA fined Alaska Airlines $165,000 for letting intoxicated passengers board 11 flights. The airline has 30 days to pay, negotiate, or request a hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
FAA adds navigation aids to Chefornak Airport under 18-year lease
The FAA is installing weather and navigation systems at Chefornak Airport in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta under an 18-year lease extension through 2044 at no cost to the state.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
A 50-year airport lease, and the federal funding line behind it
A bush-plane lease at Anchorage's airport runs exactly 50 years — not 51 — because FAA rules say a longer one could cost the airport its federal funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Bush plane tips on Copper River sandbar during fishwheel check; no injuries
A plane tipped and sustained minor damage on a Copper River sandbar Friday evening after landing near the mouth of the Kotsina River to check a fishwheel, Alaska State Troopers reported. No injuries were reported and the occupants said they did not want or need assistance.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
When the Coast Guard searches, Sitka's sky can close
A Coast Guard search shut a patch of low airspace over Sitka for two days — a small disruption elsewhere, but real in a roadbound town that flies for a living.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Coast Guard seeks contractor for Kodiak rescue aircraft life-support gear
Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak is hiring a contractor to maintain life-support gear on rescue aircraft serving Alaska's deadliest fisheries, with proposals due June 29.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 1mo ago2 min readAI
Airport firefighting trucks fail, leaving Juneau one flat tire from losing all flights
Juneau's airport dropped to Index B status when two of three firefighting trucks failed simultaneously, limiting service to only 737-700s Alaska Airlines is phasing out and prompting urgent funding requests for replacement equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago4 min readAI
