RavnAir Group, which had last week grounded 90 percent of its fleet, has cancelled all remaining service, saying the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic led to the decision.
In a memo Sunday, it announced that all three of its airlines — PenAir, RavenAir Alaska, and RavnAir Connect — are grounded “for the time being.”
The company parked its 72 aircraft, stopped operations, and temporarily laid off all remaining staff until the company is in a position to cover the “costs of rehiring, resuming flights, and operating to the many communities it serve throughout the state.”
The company says it has “hit pause” to see if it can qualify for the federal CARES Act grant for emergency disaster funding, with the hopes of restarting operations.
In a statement, Ravn said it was in contact with the CEOs from other air carriers around the state since it originally grounded 90 percent of the Ravn fleet, and will work with them to serve the rural communities.
But in the meantime, the largest seafood port in the nation, Dutch Harbor, and neighboring community Unalaska are without passenger service. Mail service continues under a contract with Grant Aviation.
Typically, flights have gone in and out of the Dutch Harbor/Unalaska airport on a daily basis with seafood industry workers. On Saturday, MRAK reported that Ravn had decided to keep its Unalaska route, but fly it only three days a week. Today’s announcement supersedes that announcement.
Unalaska is 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, and is the commercial center for the North Pacific and Bering Sea fisheries.
Looks like RAVNair is using the “virus” to try and collect taxpayer funds without performing the services. Typical grab for “free money” without any effort or expense.
They had been treading water for some time now. I see this as a smart business move in order to keep the company viable and jobs for its employees. That’s what it was intended for.
“RavnAir Group said as a result of its need for funding, the company is seeking Chapter 11 protection of the Bankruptcy Code.”
And the bankruptcies begin…………..Just a minor side effect of the C-19 “cure”.
I do not trust the owners of this airline. They have been notorious for cancelling flights and claiming a mechanical issue or bad weather when in reality it was because they did not have enough passengers to suit them. They are not trustworthy.
No one knows the future. But if this company starts flying again I will
do anything to not use them.
I could not agree more. My colleagues and I frequently fly the Anchorage – Kenai route, and never fly Ravn if we can avoid it. We’re big fans of Grant Aviation. They’re simple, friendly, customer focused, and very reliable. Everything Ravn is not.
Not a surprise one bit of what the CEO Dave Plieger and COO Brian Whilden did and the past has followed them to the bitter end he came in and acquired PenAir and what he did to the employees that had been there and they got escorted off the property and stiffed of their vacation and sick days.
There ruthless and had no class this is forth airline he has run into the the ground, They cut corners with PenAir to save a buck and it cost lives with the crash they had in Dutch Harbor last year.
There will be no coming out of this bankruptcy period.
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