An American airline has announced its immediate shutdown after 66 years of service.
Kenai Aviation has declared itself ‘financially insolvent’ and ceased operations, cancelling all flights.
The owner of Kenai Aviation, Joel Caldwell, issued a statement expressing his devastation at the events.
He wrote: ‘Where some see passengers, I see connecting Alaskans.
‘I see people I care about. I see a vibrant airline, full flights, growth, and the best crew of mechanics, ground staff, and pilots that I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
‘By all operational metrics, Kenai Aviation is successful. But yet, we are financially insolvent.’
The airline was founded in 1959 and served communities in Alaska.
Joel explained the chain of events that led to its insolvency: ‘At the end of 2017, I was sitting at my kitchen table in Kenai when I received the call that Jim Bielefeld [Kenai’s airport commissioner] was just about to finalise shutting down Kenai Aviation, but if I wanted to act quickly, we could step in and keep this historic airline alive.