Kenai Aviation will expand its scheduled commuter service between Kenai and Anchorage with an additional 14 flights each week starting Nov. 1.
Joel Caldwell, director of operations at Kenai Aviation, said Thursday that they’re looking to fill gaps and “maximize the use of our current fleet.” Next spring, he said they’ll evaluate further expansion, potentially including acquisition of new equipment.
The expansion will come just over a week after Ravn Alaska discontinues service at the Kenai Municipal Airport.
Any expansion, Caldwell said, has to come while ensuring they can continue to provide reliable service as “the local, hometown carrier.”
“It’s a significant increase,” he said. “The biggest thing is making sure we have reliability.”
Kenai Aviation’s commuter service flies two Tecnam Travellers — each seating 11 including pilots. Ensuring that the service can grow without compromising its ability to effectively ferry every passenger is central, he said.
The scheduled service debuted over a year ago, on Oct. 3, 2022. Caldwell credited the community’s response to and support of the service with making next month’s expansion possible.
For more information, visit kenaiaviation.com.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
