Alaska Seaplanes is hoping to start seasonal service between Whitehorse and Juneau this May.
The company made the announcement last week. It will be the Juneau-based company’s first international flight, said general manager Carl Ramseth.
“There was previous connection by Air North and a couple other carriers,” he said.
“We believe that our PC-12 is the right sized airplane to meet a demand that we believe is there. Especially for the local Whitehorse and Juneau folks to travel back and forth, but also for some tourist opportunities and also (to) provide connectivity to Anchorage.”
The company’s nine-seat Pilatus PC-12 is fully pressurized and is certified to fly at up to 30,000 feet.
It has a top speed of about 480 km/h meaning it can make the 271-kilometre flight in approximately 45 minutes, Ramseth said.
Without the flight, Yukoners wanting to get to Juneau would take the ferry from Skagway or Haines Alaska.
“It’s a nice trip to take the ferry and drive too but there are times the speed and convenience is more important,” Ramseth said.
The company’s plans will need to be certified by Transport Canada to fly into the country since it is a foreign business. Ramseth said he’s hoping that process will be complete in the next couple of weeks.
If everything goes as planned the seasonal flights would start in mid-May and run into September or possibly through September, Ramseth said. They would run three days a week.
He said the company is making at least a three-year commitment to the route.
“We’re not just going to be a one-and-done type effort.”
Ramseth said the company hasn’t landed on a price for the flight just yet.
“Of course we’re very sensitive to the price and want to make sure that we’re making it as affordable (as possible.)” he said.
The Whitehorse-Juneau run would be Alaska Seaplanes’ 13th route.
Contact Ashley Joannou at ashleyj@yukon-news.com