ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – For the first time in over 20 years, Seward will soon have scheduled air service from Anchorage.
When the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2002 dropped the city from its Emergency Air Service (EAS) program, they left the door open for reinstatement in the future, which is what happened earlier this year.
Seward City Manager Kat Sorensen in the spring formally requested the reenlistment and said Seward’s current transportation options “present challenges for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
Currently, only charter flights go between Seward and Anchorage. In an interview on Thursday, the city manager said with the growth in tourism and healthcare — Chugachmiut Native Health Clinic is slated to open in the next few months — it made sense to bring more flights to town.
“We thought it was a really good time, an opportunity to put that request to restart the Essential Air Services, …