Bering Air
| |||||||
| Commenced operations | October 3, 1979 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Gold Points | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | Twin Peak Adventures | ||||||
| Fleet size | 27 [1] | ||||||
| Destinations | 32 [2] | ||||||
| Headquarters | Nome, Alaska, USA | ||||||
| Key people | James Rowe (President and CEO) | ||||||
| Website |
www | ||||||
Bering Air is an American airline headquartered in Nome, Alaska, USA. It operates domestic scheduled passenger and charter airline services, as well as air ambulance and helicopter services. Its main base is Nome Airport, with hubs at Ralph Wien Memorial Airport (Kotzebue) and Unalakleet Airport[3]
History
In early 1975, Jim Rowe and three college friends embarked on a journey from northern Michigan, and traveled across America in a Cessna 195, landing in Mexico's Baja California peninsula, and eventually setting on the beaches of Nome, Alaska. A few months later, in September 1979, Bering Air was established. It commenced operations on October 3, 1979 with a single De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. Later, in 1983, with instigation of the increasingly popular bypass mail system, the airline added other small aircraft, including the Piper Navajo, Beech 18, and Piper Seneca. Bering Air, in favor of modern, turbine powered aircraft, later phased out aircraft equipped with radial engines. Thus, the Beechcraft King Air 200, Beechcraft 1900D, Cessna Caravan, and CASA C-212 were introduced. Furthermore, off airport duties were transferred to helicopters, instead of older piston powered aircraft. In 2015, the airline upgraded its fleet with eight Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan aircraft replacing its older Cessna 208B aircraft.[4] Today, the airline is wholly owned by Jim Rowe (President) and Christine Rowe.
Fleet
As of January 2016, the Bering Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:[1]
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-31 Navajo | 6 | 9 | |
| Cessna Caravan EX | 8 | 9 | |
| Beechcraft 1900D | 2 | 19 | "Combi" configuration on scheduled flights |
| Beechcraft King Air 200 | 3 | 9 | Air ambulance configuration |
| CASA 212-200 | 2 | 0 | Cargo |
| MD Helicopter MD 500E | 3 | 3 | Long Line capable |
| Robinson R44 Raven II | 3 | 3 | Also operates two R44s (N7008N and N7114R) for Twin Peak Adventures.[5] |
Retired fleet
Bering Air has previously operated the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Replacement |
|---|---|
| De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter | Cessna 208B Caravan |
| De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | |
| Cessna 206/207 | |
| Cessna 208B Caravan | Cessna Caravan EX |
| Beechcraft 18 | CASA C-212 |
| Piper Seneca | |
| Mitsubishi MU-2 |
Community services
Bering Air, along with Grant Aviation, Frontier Flying Service, Northern Air Cargo, PenAir, and Ryan Air Services, participates in the Flying Can service, which allows rural Alaskan communities to recycle aluminum cans and now number 1 PET bottles in cooperation with Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling.[6]
Bering Air provides free delivery on scheduled flights for Airport Pizza, a pizzeria at Nome Airport that takes orders from remote locations served by Bering Air.[7]
Destinations
Passenger and cargo charter services are flown from Kotzebue and Nome to destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Russia.[3]
Domestic
Bering Air offers scheduled passenger service to 29 cities in Western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet.[2][8][9][10]
- Ambler (ABL) – Ambler Airport
- Brevig Mission (KTS) – Brevig Mission Airport
- Buckland (BKC) – Buckland Airport
- Cape Lisburne (LUR) – Cape Lisburne LRRS Airport
- Deering (DRG) – Deering Airport
- Elim (ELI) – Elim Airport
- Gambell (GAM) – Gambell Airport
- Golovin (GLV) – Golovin Airport
- Kiana (IAN) – Bob Baker Memorial Airport
- Kivalina (KVL) – Kivalina Airport
- Kobuk (OBU) – Kobuk Airport
- Kotzebue (OTZ) – Ralph Wien Memorial Airport
- Koyuk (KKA) – Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport
- Noatak (WTK) – Noatak Airport
- Nome (OME) – Nome Airport
- Noorvik (ORV) – Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport
- Point Hope (PHO) – Point Hope Airport
- St. Michael (SMK) – St. Michael Airport
- Savoonga (SVA) – Savoonga Airport
- Selawik (WLK) – Selawik Airport
- Shaktoolik (SKK) – Shaktoolik Airport
- Shishmaref (SHH) – Shishmaref Airport
- Shungnak (SHG) – Shungnak Airport
- Stebbins (WBB) – Stebbins Airport
- Teller (TLA) – Teller Airport
- Tin City (TNC) – Tin City LRRS Airport
- Unalakleet (UNK) – Unalakleet Airport
- Wales (WAA) – Wales Airport
- White Mountain (WMO) – White Mountain Airport
Former destinations
- Council (CIL) – Council Airport
- Diomede (DIO) – Diomede Island Airport (ice runway, winter only)
- Port Clarence (KPC) – Port Clarence Coast Guard Station
International
Bering Air offers charter service from Nome and Anchorage to Anadyr and Provideniya in the Russian Far East.[11]
References
- 1 2
- 1 2 "Reservations". Bering Air. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. March 27, 2007. p. 85.
- ↑ "Bering Air Updates Fleet". Airliner World: 15. October 2015.
- ↑ http://www.twinpeaksadventures.com/logistics-helicopters.htm
- ↑ Tuttle, Logan (June 16, 2010). "Rural recycling finds a PET project". The Arctic Sounder (Alaska Newspapers, Inc.). Retrieved October 16, 2010.
- ↑ http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/alaska/kodiak-nome-and-the-bush/review-471134.html
- ↑ "Nome Flight Schedule" (PDF). Bering Air. October 7, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Kotzebue Flight Schedule]" (PDF). Bering Air. October 7, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Unalakleet Flight Schedule" (PDF). Bering Air. October 7, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Russian Travel". Bering Air. Retrieved June 11, 2014.