Ravn Alaska


Corvus Airlines d.b.a. RavnAir Group was a regional airline that specialized in serving the small communities in the US state of Alaska. The airline was headquartered in Anchorage, which is also home to the primary hub used by Ravn, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
Corvus Airlines operated all of its flights using the Ravn Alaska brand. The company pronounces its name Ravn like the bird, Raven.
Hageland Aviation Services and Frontier Flying Service, the sister airlines of Corvus, also flew under the Ravn brand as Ravn Connect. Hageland Aviation Services operated scheduled passenger flights for Ravn Alaska, while Frontier Flying Service operated cargo and charter services.
Ravn had a partnership with Alaska Airlines, allowing passengers to book codesharing flights and allowing passengers on most Ravn flights to earn miles in Alaska's Mileage Plan frequent-flyer program.
On April 5, 2020 Ravn filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, temporarily ceased all operations, and laid off all staff.

History

Corvus Airlines traces its roots back to 1948 and the founding of Economy Helicopters. The company was founded by Carl Brady, when he flew the first commercial helicopter to Alaska to work on a mapping contract for the U.S. government.
In the years that followed, Economy Helicopters renamed itself Era Helicopters and the company saw most of its business by supporting offshore oil drilling. Era's helicopters supported the efforts to build the Alyeska Pipeline and it was during the construction of the pipeline that the company started its fixed-wing division with DeHaviland Twin Otter and Convair 580 aircraft.
After the construction of the pipeline, Era saw an opportunity to scheduled passenger service, which first started in May 1983. The Convair planes were used for service to Valdez, Kenai, Kodiak, Cordova, and Homer. The Twin Otter fleet was based out of Bethel and operated service to many of the small communities surrounding it.
In 1988, Era Helicopters formally changed its name to Era Aviation.
The company endured a very turbulent transition between December 2004 and December 2006, which saw several changes in ownership, the spinoff of the Era Helicopters division, and the company entering and emerging from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
In early 2009, HoTH Inc., the holding company that owned Hageland Aviation Services and Frontier Flying Service, purchased Era Aviation. However, Era Helicopters was not part of the acquisition and instead became an independent company. In October 2009, HoTH Inc. also acquired Arctic Circle Air Service, a local cargo airline. The combined air group rebranded itself as Era Alaska, taking advantage of Era's recognizable name.
In January 2014, the companies were renamed once again in what the company says was an effort to decrease confusion and distinguish it from other companies that are named Era, including the independent Era Helicopters. The combined air group Era Alaska was renamed Ravn Alaska, Era Airlines was renamed Corvus Airlines, and while Hageland Aviation Services and Frontier Flying Service would keep their names, they both now operate as Ravn Connect.
In August 2016, the New York-based J.F. Lehman and Co. acquired a majority stake in Ravn while the remaining shares were retained by Bob Hajdukovich, then CEO of the company.
Ravn Alaska purchased all of the aircraft and other owned assets of Yute Air on March 5, 2017, as the latter shut down, taking over the Yute Air routes.
In January 2018, Ravn Alaska received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to put in place a safety management system similar to those implemented by larger airlines across the USA.

Shutdown and Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

On April 5, 2020, in the midst of travel disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ravn shut down its entire operation, laid off all staff, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The leadership of the North Slope Borough, in remote northern Alaska, attempted to take property of the airline in a
way to keep flights and shipments coming to the rural communities, but the Alaska Attorney General stated that it was improper.
The decision to stop all operations stranded dozens of communities in rural Alaska, leaving them without regular scheduled air service. Wright Air Service and other small air carriers have been performing air service on a charter flight basis.
At the bankruptcy auction in July 2020, the Ravn Connect part 135 airlines was sold in pieces to other airlines of Alaska. The part 121 airlines Ravn Alaska and PenAir were sold to Float Shuttle, Inc., a commuter service based in Los Angeles.

Fleet

The Ravn Alaska fleet includes the following aircraft :
On July 7, 2020 at the bankruptcy auction Ravn sold 15 Cessna planes to Grant Aviation, 14 Cessna planes to Yute Commuter Service, 4 Cessna planes to Wright Air Service, 8 Beechcraft 1900C planes to ACE Air Cargo and six Cessna 208 Caravan to Everts Air Cargo.

Formerly operated

Ravn Alaska offered scheduled service to over 100 Alaskan cities and communities. Among Ravn's newest destinations were regular routes to the Bristol Bay area, the first new destination for the airline in six years. The inaugural flight from Dillingham and King Salmon to Anchorage took off on February 16, 2018.

Media appearances

Beginning on January 14, 2011, Discovery Channel's Flying Wild Alaska showcased Era Alaska's daily operations. It aired until July 20, 2012, totaling 31 episodes over three seasons.

Accidents and incidents