Alaska Seaplanes is taking off for Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon territory starting Friday.
This will mark Alaska Seaplanes first international destination and its 13th destination overall. According to a release, Seaplanes conducted a test flight to Whitehorse after receiving its Foreign Air Operating Certificate from Transport Canada. Transport Canada is Canada’s version of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
“To have our first scheduled international flight is a big thing for Seaplanes,” said Carl Ramseth, General Manager of Alaska Seaplanes, in a phone interview with the Empire Monday.
Ramseth also added that this will allow people from Whitehorse to have better access traveling to and from Anchorage. Normally, customers flying from Whitehorse to Anchorage would have to stop in either Vancouver or Seattle. Now, customers will be able to connect via Alaska Airlines in Juneau to Anchorage.
The new added flight comes less than three months after Seaplanes made its initial announcement that it would be traveling to Whitehorse.
This new flight is happening after Seaplanes purchased a Pilatus PC-12 in August 2017. After modifications, it made its way into Juneau in November. The plane seats nine passengers and can hold approximately 2,700 to 2,800 pounds. Ramseth said the Pilatus PC-12 can travel 300 mph, climb 2,000 feet-per-minute and flies at altitude. It also offers passengers the comfort of a fully-pressurized cabin. The trip from Juneau to Whitehorse will take approximately 50 minutes. This also opens up even more international travel for Juneau customers: Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport offers flights to Europe during the summer.
The contract with Whitehorse is three years and Ramseth said there no other plans of flying to any other new destinations in the near future.
Roundtrip flights will be offered Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and will operate through the summer season. Flights will start at $249 each way, plus applicable international taxes. Seaplanes may offer more flights if demand grows. Seaplanes opened up online booking Monday morning on www.flyalaskaseaplanes.com or by calling (907) 789-3331.
By the end of June, Juneau-Whitehorse flights will also be visible on all major online travel agency websites.
• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.
