Kenai Aviation has been selected as the carrier to provide federally subsidized essential air service between Seward and Anchorage and will begin scheduled flights May 1.

An order by Cindy A. Baraban, deputy assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs at the federal Department of Transportation, says that the department selected Kenai Aviation for a two-year term, May 1 of this year through April 30, 2027. Per the order, Kenai Aviation will provide six weekly round trips during “peak season,” May 1 to Sept. 30. The airline will provide three weekly round trips from Oct. 1 to through April 30.

For that service, Kenai Aviation will receive a federal subsidy of $529,050 for the first year and $508,037 for the second year.

The department previously provided subsidized essential air service between Seward and Anchorage from 1985 to 2002. That service was cut on May 21, 2002, after the State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities wrote that there was “not sufficient passenger traffic to justify” continuing the service, but that it might request the service be reinstituted in the future, “should circumstances warrant.”

Seward City Manager Kat Sorensen, in a March 2024 letter, requested Seward be restored to the essential air service program. That request was accepted and the department requested proposals to provide that service in October. Reeve Air Alaska was the only airline besides Kenai Aviation to respond to the request.

The order notes that the majority of community comments expressed “general support” for essential air service, but that “of those that expressed a carrier preference,” more comments were submitted for Reeve.

Despite that, Kenai Aviation requested a lower subsidy, has more experience serving Seward Airport and is designing new instrument approach procedures for the airport, the order says. That’s why they were selected.

Kenai Aviation CEO Jacob Caldwell during an Oct. 28 meeting of the Seward City Council said he’d collaborated with Sorensen in pursuit of bringing air service back to Seward since she entered the city manager role in late 2023.

The subsidy, he said, comes from taxes on airline tickets, and will bring weekly flights to Seward. Neither the City of Seward or State of Alaska will be made to pay for the service.

Kenai Aviation on Facebook this week wrote that further details, including schedule and pricing details, will be available soon.

For more information, find “Kenai Aviation” on Facebook.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.