http://www.airlinerworld.com 67

FINAL FRONTIER

Commuting

when many of these places don’t have

a big enough catchment or demand to

justify direct flights to bigger hub cities,

so the concept of a ‘milk run’ where

an aircraft makes several short consec-

utive hops between these communities

before returning to the larger hub

airport, is often the only practical and

financially sensible solution.

In Europe, airlines such as Widerøe

operate daily flights to remote towns

and villages, for example between

Tromsø and Kirkenes, with multiple

stops en route. These services offer

locals easier access to Tromsø,

Oslo and beyond while tourists

can be transported to the

beautiful Arctic coastline.

However, even these locations have an

extensive road network between the

coastal towns, as well as the option of

sea transport. To find a true lifeline air

service you have to look a little further,

somewhere flights must cover much

greater landmasses, and where none of

the communities have any road access

to the outside world, and this is where

Alaska Airlines comes into its own.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines, which was estab-

lished in 1932 and known then as

McGee Airways, is now one of the larg-

est airlines in the United States. The

Seattle-based operator has a fleet in

excess of 150 aircraft with a route net-

work spanning the Continental United

States, Canada, Central America as well

as the Hawaiian Islands. The fleet

predominantly comprises the

Alaska Airlines used

a fleet of five 737-400

combis.

AVIATION IMAGE NE T WORK/

SIMON GREGORY

MAIN IMAGE • Alaska

Airlines’ milk run pro-

vides a vital link to the

outside world for some

of the most remote

communities in North

America’s biggest state.

AVIATION IMAGE NE T WORK/

SIMON GREGORY