Frontier Flying Service (

d/b/a A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...

Ravn Connect) was an American

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

headquartered in

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It operated an extensive network of year-round scheduled commuter services and

postal services The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...

to Alaska bush

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place (geography), place, Norm (social), norms, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Identity (social science), identity. Communiti ...

, primarily north of

Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

, as well as

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

services to the

lower 48 The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Its main base was in

(

Fairbanks International Airport Fairbanks International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, a city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of the United States state of Alaska. Fairban ...

), with hubs in Utqiagvik ( Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport),

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

(

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a major airport in the U.S. state of Alaska, located southwest of downtown Anchorage. The airport is named for Ted Stevens, a U.S. senator from Alaska in office from 1968 to 2009. It is included ...

Kotzebue Kotzebue ( ) or Qikiqtaġruk ( , ) is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the borough's seat, by far its largest community and the economic and transportation hub of the subregion of Alaska encompassing t ...

(

Ralph Wien Memorial Airport Ralph Wien Memorial Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located on the south side of Kotzebue, a city on the Baldwin Peninsula in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities and aircraft Ralph Wien Memorial Ai ...

) and

Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...

(

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 Adm ...

History

Frontier Flying Service was established in 1950 by retired

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Colonel Richard McIntyre, catering to Alaska bush communities as a scheduled mail carrier for

Wien Air Alaska Wien Air Alaska (IATA: WC) was a United States airline formed from Northern Consolidated Airlines (NCA) and Wien Alaska Airways. The company was famous for being the first airline in Alaska, and one of the first in the United States; it ceased ope ...

, as well as providing charters throughout Alaska. In 1974, Frontier was purchased by John Hajdukovich. In 2005 the airline merged with Cape Smythe Air Services, taking on their routes and retaining the Frontier Flying Service name. During the spring of 2008 Frontier Flying Service began the process of merging with

Hageland Aviation Services Hageland Aviation Services (Defunct) was a regional FAR Part 135 airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It operated as the Ravn Connect component of Ravn Alaska, serving many destinations throughout Alaska. History The airline was ...

, the companies continue to operate separate certificates with Frontier Flying Service providing service between major hubs and focus communities with the Beech 1900C aircraft while Hagleand Air Service provides point to point service out of the hubs and focus communities to smaller villages, both companies do business under the name "Frontier Alaska" and have begun merging resources and operations at all their shared airports. This merger makes Frontier Alaska the largest commuter passenger carrier in the state of Alaska (by fleet size and number of routes). On July 8, 2008, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines announced Frontier Flying Service (d.b.a Frontier Alaska) as a new code share partner beginning in the fall of 2008. On February 27, 2009, Frontier Flying Service's holding company, Frontier Alaska, acquired rival

Era Aviation Era Aviation was a fixed wing airline as well as a commercial helicopter operation based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It operated a network of scheduled fixed wing passenger services from Anchorage as well as from Bethel, AK on behalf of ...

of Anchorage, Alaska. By 2014, with the fleet rationalization and post acquisition of Era Aviation almost complete by the HoTH Airline group, Frontier Flying Service performed the mission of flying cargo and passenger charters for the other Ravn branded companies,

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

and

Hageland Aviation Hageland Aviation Services (Defunct) was a regional FAR Part 135 airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It operated as the Ravn Connect component of Ravn Alaska, serving many destinations throughout Alaska. History The airline was e ...

, but also utilizing the branding of Ravn Connect. After the bankruptcy of

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

the assets were sold "in pieces" to other airlines of Alaska in July 2020.

Fleet

The Frontier Flying Service fleet consisted of the following aircraft ():

Destinations

Frontier Flying Service operated scheduled service to the following destinations in Alaska as of 2007:Frontier Flying Service: 2007 Timetable
(

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

). Retrieved on 2007-08-29. *

(ANC) -

* Aniak (ANI) - Aniak Airport * Anvik (ANV) - Anvik Airport *

Atqasuk Atqasuk () is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 228 at the 2000 census and 233 as of the 2010 census. Geography Atqasuk is located at (70.477663, -157.418056), on the Meade River. According to the U ...

(ATK) -

Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr. Memorial Airport Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr. Memorial Airport is an uncontrolled public use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) south of the central business district of Atqasuk, a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The airport ...

* Barrow (BRW) - Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport * Barter Island /

Kaktovik Kaktovik (; ik, Qaaktuġvik, ) is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 283 at the 2020 census. History Until the late nineteenth century, Barter Island was a major trade center for the Inupiat and was espe ...

(BTI) -

Barter Island LRRS Airport Barter Island LRRS Airport is a public/military airport located near the city of Kaktovik on Barter Island, in the North Slope Borough, located east of Point Barrow, Alaska. The airport is owned by the North Slope Borough. It is also known a ...

(BET) -

* Brevig Mission (KTS) -

Brevig Mission Airport Brevig Mission Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Brevig Mission, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, this airport had 2,696 passenger boardings (enpla ...

* Buckland (BKC) -

Buckland Airport Buckland Airport (; Iñupiaq: ''Nunatchiam Mirvia'' or ''Kaŋium Mirvia'') is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) southwest of the central business district of Buckland, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borou ...

* Deadhorse (SCC) -

Deadhorse Airport Deadhorse Airport is a public airport located in Deadhorse on the North Slope of Alaska. It can be accessed from Fairbanks via the Elliott and Dalton highways. It is near Prudhoe Bay and is sometimes also called Prudhoe Airport. Facilities ...

* Deering (DRG) -

Deering Airport Deering Airport ( Iñupiaq: ''Ipnatchiam Mirvia'') is a state-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district of Deering, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of A ...

* Elim (ELI) -

Elim Airport Elim Airport is a state-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Elim, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. This airport is included in the FAA's N ...

(FAI) -

Fort Yukon Fort Yukon (''Gwichyaa Zheh'' in Gwich'in) is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, straddling the Arctic Circle. The population, predominantly Gwich'in Alaska Natives, was 583 at the 2010 census, down from 595 ...

(FYU) -

Fort Yukon Airport Fort Yukon Airport
, published 15 March 152007 is a state-owned public-use

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

(GAL) - Edward G. Pitka Sr. Airport * Gambell (GAM) -

Gambell Airport Gambell Airport is a public airport located in Gambell, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by the state. Facilities Gambell Airport covers an area of which contains one asphalt and concrete paved r ...

* Golovin (GLV) -

Golovin Airport Golovin Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Golovin, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 1,753 passenger boardings (enplanements) in cale ...

* Grayling (KGX) -

Grayling Airport Grayling Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one mile (2 km) south of the central business district of Grayling, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Grayling Airport has one ru ...

* Holy Cross (HCR) -

Holy Cross Airport Holy Cross Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one mile (1.6 km) south of the central business district of Holy Cross, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. History Although most U.S. airpo ...

Huslia Huslia (; in Koyukon) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. Rarely known as Hussliakatna, it is inhabited by Koyukuk-hotana Athabascans. The population was 293 at the 2000 census and 275 as of the 2010 census. ...

(HSL) -

Huslia Airport Huslia Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) east of Huslia, a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. Facilities Huslia Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 220 feet (6 ...

* Kalskag (KLG) -

Kalskag Airport Kalskag Airport is a public airport located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district of Upper Kalskag, a city in the Bethel Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by the state. It is situated on the Kus ...

* Kaltag (KAL) - Kaltag Airport * Kiana (IAN) -

Bob Baker Memorial Airport Bob Baker Memorial Airport is a public airport located one mile (2 km) north of the central business district of Kiana, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by the state. Facilities Bo ...

Kivalina Kivalina ( ik, Kivalliñiq) is a city and village in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census and 374 as of the 2010 census. The island on which the village lies is threatened by rising sea ...

(KVL) -

Kivalina Airport Kivalina Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Kivalina, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Kivalina Airport has one runway (12/30) with a gravel surface measuring 3,000 x 60 ...

(OTZ) -

* Koyuk (KKA) -

Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Koyuk, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport covers an area of which contains one runway designated 1/19 w ...

* Koyukuk (KYU) - Koyukuk Airport * Noatak (WTK) -

Noatak Airport Noatak Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) southwest of the central business district of Noatak, in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state in Alaska. Facilities Noatak Airport has one ...

* Nome (OME) -

Nome Airport Nome Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) west of the central business district of Nome, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Federal Aviation Administration reco ...

* Noorvik (ORV) -

Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.8 km) north of the central business district of Noorvik, a village in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Fede ...

Nuiqsut Nuiqsut ( ik, Nuiqsat, ) is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 433 at the 2000 census and 402 as of the 2010 census. Geography Nuiqsut is located at (70.216338, -151.005725). Nuiqsut is in the North Slop ...

(AQT/NUI) -

Nuiqsut Airport Nuiqsut Airport is a public use airport located in Nuiqsut, a city in the North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is owned by North Slope Borough. Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FA ...

* Nulato (NUL) -

Nulato Airport Nulato Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) northeast of the central business district of Nulato, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. As per Federal Aviation ...

Point Hope Point Hope ( ik, Tikiġaq, ) is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 674, down from 757 in 2000. In the 2020 Census, population rose to 830. Like many isolated communities in Alaska, the c ...

(PHO) -

Point Hope Airport Point Hope Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located two miles (3 km) southwest of the central business district of Point Hope, a city in the North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Point Hope is located in the Lisburne ...

Point Lay Point Lay (''Kali ''in Inupiaq- "Mound") is a census-designated place (CDP) in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 189, down from 247 in 2000. Geography and climate Point Lay is located at (69.7410 ...

(PIZ) - Point Lay LRRS Airport *

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...

(RBY) - Ruby Airport * Russian Mission (RSH) -

Russian Mission Airport Russian Mission Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Russian Mission, a city in the Kusilvak Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Russian Mission Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 51 feet (16 m) ab ...

* Savoonga (SVA) -

Savoonga Airport Savoonga Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Savoonga, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Savoonga is located on St. Lawrence I ...

* Selawik (WLK) -

Selawik Airport Selawik Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Selawik, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Selawik Airport has two gravel surfaced runway According to the International ...

* Shageluk (SHX) -

Shageluk Airport Shageluk Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) north of the central business district of Shageluk, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities Shageluk Airpo ...

Shishmaref Shishmaref ( ; ik, Qigiqtaq, ; rus, Шишмарёв, p=ʂɨʂmɐˈrʲɵf) is a City (Alaska), city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is located on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of ...

(SHH) - Shishmaref Airport * St. Mary's (KSM) - St. Mary's Airport * Tanana (TAL) - Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport * Teller (TLA) -

Teller Airport Teller Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Teller, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities and aircraft Teller Airport ha ...

* Wainwright (AIN) - Wainwright Airport *

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

(WAA) - Wales Airport * White Mountain (WMO) - White Mountain Airport

Community awareness

Frontier Flying Service, along with

Bering Air Bering Air is an American airline headquartered in Nome, Alaska, United States. It operates domestic scheduled passenger and charter airline services, as well as air ambulance and helicopter services. Its main base is Nome Airport, with hubs a ...

Grant Aviation Grant Aviation is a regional airline that serves the town of Kenai, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Bristol Bay, and the Aleutian Chain in Alaska, United States. The airline was formed in 1971 as Delta Air Services based in Emmonak. The current owner ...

Northern Air Cargo Northern Air Cargo, LLC (NAC) is an American cargo airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. NAC operates a small fleet of Boeing 737-300s and Boeing 737-400 freighter aircraft within the state of Alaska as well as widebody Boeing 767-300 freigh ...

PenAir Peninsula Airways, operated as PenAir, was a U.S.-based regional airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It was Alaska's second-largest commuter airline operating scheduled passenger service, as well as charter and medevac services through ...

, and Ryan Air, participated in the Flying Can service, which allows rural Alaskan communities to recycle aluminum cans and

PET A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence, ...

bottles in cooperation with

Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

Accidents and incidents

*On October 30, 1979,

Douglas C-47B The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to su ...

N99663 was written off in a landing accident at

Bettles Airport Bettles Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Bettles, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities and aircraft Bettles Airport covers 1,195 acres which contains one runway designated 1 ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. The aircraft struck three parked aircraft. It was on a cargo flight from

, Alaska, to

Ambler Airport Ambler Airport ( Iñupiaq: ''Ivisaappaat Mirviat'') is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) north of the central business district of Ambler, a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alask ...

, Alaska via Bettles. All four aircraft were substantially damaged.

References

{{Airlines of the United States 1950 establishments in Alaska 2009 disestablishments in Alaska Airlines established in 1950 Airlines based in Alaska Defunct airlines of the United States Companies based in Fairbanks, Alaska American companies established in 1950