Juneau-Whitehorse flights likely to begin this month, company says
Alaska Seaplanes faced some delays last month in getting new service off the ground
After facing delays in May, Alaska Seaplanes is on track again to make its Juneau-Whitehorse route available this summer.
The airline made a dry run on Tuesday, with its 9-passenger Pilatus PC-12 landing at the Whitehorse Airport at about 1:45 p.m.
Alaska Seaplanes' general manager Carl Ramseth was on the flight. Ramseth told CBC last week that the company had hoped to launch the route in May, but it faced delays in obtaining a Foreign Air Operator Certificate from Transport Canada.
Transport Canada issued the certificate last Friday. The airline still needs to obtain a licence from the Canadian Transport Agency.
"We're working through some of the tariff language with the Canadian Transportation Agency, and it's my understanding that this part of the process will move a little quicker," he said.
"I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm pretty confident saying it should happen in June at some point."
Ramseth and a few others from the airline made the trip on Tuesday to bring supplies to the airport and to test out landing.
This was the plane's first international flight with Alaska Seaplanes, though Ramseth said the company previously ran flights to Whitehorse in the early 2000s.
"We're looking forward to building the relationship more between Whitehorse and Juneau, and giving the people the opportunity to get back and forth again on a scheduled basis," he said.