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 at Ralph Wien Memorial Airport and Unalakleet Airport.

History

In early 1975, Jim Rowe and three college friends embarked on a journey from northern Michigan, and traveled across America in a Cessna 195, landing in Mexico's Baja California peninsula, and eventually setting on the beaches of Nome, Alaska. A few months later, in September 1979, Bering Air was established. It commenced operations on October 3, 1979 with a single De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. Later, in 1983, with instigation of the increasingly popular bypass mail system, the airline added other small aircraft, including the Piper Navajo, Beech 18, and Piper Seneca. Bering Air, in favor of modern, turbine powered aircraft, later phased out aircraft equipped with radial engines. Thus, the Beechcraft King Air 200, Beechcraft 1900D, Cessna Caravan, and CASA C-212 were introduced. Furthermore, off airport duties were transferred to helicopters, instead of older piston powered aircraft. In 2015, the airline upgraded its fleet with eight Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan aircraft replacing its older Cessna 208B aircraft. Today, the airline is wholly owned by Jim Rowe and Christine Rowe.
In July 2020 Bering Air bought at Ravn Alaska's bankruptcy auction the facilities in Aniak, Kotzebue, Nome and Unalakleet.

Fleet

As of January 2016, the Bering Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:

AircraftTotalPassengersNotes
Piper PA-31 Navajo69
Cessna Caravan EX109
Beechcraft 1900D219"Combi" configuration on scheduled flights
Beechcraft King Air 20039Air ambulance configuration
CASA 212-20020Cargo
MD Helicopter MD 500E33Long Line capable
Robinson R44 Raven II33Also operates two R44s for Twin Peak Adventures.

Retired fleet

Bering Air has previously operated the following aircraft:

AircraftReplacement
De Havilland Canada DHC-3 OtterCessna 208B Caravan
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
Cessna 206/207
Cessna 208B CaravanCessna Caravan EX
Beechcraft 18CASA C-212
Piper Seneca
Mitsubishi MU-2

Community services

Bering Air, along with Grant Aviation, Frontier Flying Service, Northern Air Cargo, PenAir, and Ryan Air Services, participates in the Flying Can service, which allows rural Alaskan communities to recycle aluminum cans and now number 1 PET bottles in cooperation with Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling.
Bering Air provides free delivery on scheduled flights for Airport Pizza, a pizzeria at Nome Airport that takes orders from remote locations served by Bering Air.

Destinations

Passenger and cargo charter services are flown from Kotzebue and Nome to destinations throughout the United States, and Russia.

Domestic

Bering Air offers scheduled passenger service to 29 cities in Western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet.
  1. Ambler – Ambler Airport
  2. Brevig Mission – Brevig Mission Airport
  3. Buckland – Buckland Airport
  4. Cape Lisburne – Cape Lisburne LRRS Airport
  5. Deering – Deering Airport
  6. Elim – Elim Airport
  7. Gambell – Gambell Airport
  8. Golovin – Golovin Airport
  9. Kiana – Bob Baker Memorial Airport
  10. Kivalina – Kivalina Airport
  11. Kobuk – Kobuk Airport
  12. Kotzebue – Ralph Wien Memorial Airport
  13. Koyuk – Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport
  14. Noatak – Noatak Airport
  15. Nome – Nome Airport
  16. Noorvik – Robert Curtis Memorial Airport
  17. Point Hope – Point Hope Airport
  18. St. Michael – St. Michael Airport
  19. Savoonga – Savoonga Airport
  20. Selawik – Selawik Airport
  21. Shaktoolik – Shaktoolik Airport
  22. Shishmaref – Shishmaref Airport
  23. Shungnak – Shungnak Airport
  24. Stebbins – Stebbins Airport
  25. Teller – Teller Airport
  26. Tin City – Tin City LRRS Airport
  27. Unalakleet – Unalakleet Airport
  28. Wales – Wales Airport
  29. White Mountain – White Mountain Airport

    Former destinations

  30. Council – Council Airport
  31. Diomede – Diomede Island Airport
  32. Port Clarence – Port Clarence Coast Guard Station

    International

Bering Air offers charter service from Nome and Anchorage to Anadyr and Provideniya in the Russian Far East.