RavnAir Group, which announced a 90% reduction in services last week, announced Sunday they are halting all operations, laying off all staff and filing for bankruptcy.
RavnAir and Grant Aviation operate out of the Kenai Municipal Airport, with approximately 75% of the passengers flying out of Kenai on Ravn and the remainder on Grant, airport manager Mary Bondurant said.
“(Ravn is) a major player here,” Bondurant said.
She said 25 locals who worked for Ravn in the terminal and in cargo were laid off this week.
Dave Pflieger, the company’s CEO, said in an announcement posted to the front page of the company’s website, that the halt in operations will allow the company to “weather the coronavirus pandemic and emerge successfully once it has passed.”
RavnAir, the largest regional airline in Alaska, will be grounding all of their 72 aircraft temporarily, laying off all of their employees and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to the announcement.
Bondurant said Grant Aviation is still operating six days a week with a couple of flights a day. She also said FedEx, UPS, fuel planes and other cargo regularly come through the airport.
Ravn said in their announcement that they took the actions to ensure the airline “has a future,” and to allow time to “hit pause” while the company seeks federal business grants and financial assistance.
“How long we must wait is uncertain, but I want to assure you that everyone here at Ravn is doing everything possible to get back in the air very soon, so we can resume the vital air service you depend on to get home to your families, to your businesses, to medical appointments, and to other duties that are essential to our communities and the State of Alaska,” the announcement said.
The announcement extends apologies for Alaskans who were scheduled to fly Ravn this week and into the future, and asks those people to contact customerfeedback@ravnairgroup.com.
