Flight Alaska (d/b/a Yute Air) was an American

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines ...

based in

Bethel, Alaska Bethel () is a city in the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the Kuskokwim River approximately from where the river flows into Kuskokwim Bay. It is the largest community in western Alaska and in the Unorganized Borough and the List of cities in ...

, United States. It operated scheduled services to over 22 villages in Alaska and also provided charter services throughout Alaska. Its main base was

Bethel Airport Bethel Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Bethel, a city in the Bethel Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Federal Aviation Admi ...

. The air carrier announced abruptly that it was ceasing operations on March 5, 2017, effective immediately, with

Ravn Alaska New Pacific Airlines, Inc., d.b.a. Ravn Alaska, is an Alaskan airline that specializes in serving small communities in the US state of Alaska. The airline is headquartered in Anchorage, which is also home to its primary hub, Ted Stevens Ancho ...

purchasing the tangible owned assets of Yute Air and replacing Yute Air on its former routes. The company slogan was ''Wings of the People.''

History

The airline, established by Phillip and Demptha Bingman, began flying from

Dillingham, Alaska Dillingham (), also known as Curyung, is a city in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, United States. Incorporated in 1963, it is an important commercial fishing port on Nushagak Bay. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,2 ...

in 1956 as Bob Harris Flying Services. It was renamed in 1974 as Yute Air Alaska, translating to "the people" in Yupik. Yute Air was sold to William Johnson in 1988. After 11 years, in 1999 he filed for

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. The company and

operating certificate Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period. Certificates can have intr ...

were then acquired by the Flight International Group in April 2000 and shortly thereafter renamed "Flight Alaska". Under the Flight Alaska name, it operated with a multitude of aircraft in addition to the original

Cessna 207 The Cessna 205, 206 and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane), are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air ...

aircraft, including a Lear 35,

King Air 200 The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996.< ...

, and four CASA 212-200's. Operations included bypass mail, scheduled passenger and freight service, lodge and private charters, and government smokejumping contracts. Yute Air was then acquired by Tim Vottis, in 2004. The airline was downsized to only hub out of

, AK and only serve the surrounding area. The name reverted to Yute Air, which it used until going out of business in 2017.

Destinations

Yute Air operated services to the following domestic scheduled destinations (at June 2012):

Bethel Bethel (, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; ; ) was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Bet ...

, Chefornak, Eek,

Goodnews Bay Goodnews Bay () is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 243, up from 230 in 2000. Geography Goodnews Bay is located on the north shore of Goodnews Bay at the mouth of the Go ...

Kipnuk Kipnuk () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 639, down from 644 in 2000. Kipnuk consists mostly of Yup'ik speaking Native Alaskans; the name means a "bend" refer ...

, Kongiganak, Kwigillingok,

Newtok Newtok () is a small village on the Ningliq River in the Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population is zero as of late 2024, down from 321 in 2000, and the village has been abandoned. Climate change and river erosion forced the ...

, Nightmute,

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

, Quinhagak,

Toksook Bay Toksook Bay is a city and village on Nelson Island in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. The population was 590 at the 2010 census, up from 532 in 2000. As of 2018, the estimated population was 667, making it the largest village on the island. Toks ...

, Tuntutuliak and Tununak, Atmautluak, Nunapitchuk, Kasigluk,

Kwethluk Kwethluk ( ; ) is a city in Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2010 census the population was 721, up from 713 in 2000. It is the birthplace of Saint Olga of Alaska. Geography Kwethluk is located at (60.802332, -161.418 ...

, Akiachak, Akiak, Tuluksak, Kalskag and others.

Fleet

At the time of closure, Yute Air's fleet consisted of two

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Cessna 207 The Cessna 205, 206 and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane), are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air ...

aircraft, all sold to

upon closure.

References

{{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed 2017 disestablishments in Alaska Airlines established in 2000 Airlines disestablished in 2017 Bethel, Alaska Defunct regional airlines of the United States 2000 establishments in Alaska

History

Destinations

Fleet

See also

References