Flight service between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan, Alaska will soon be available, on the wings of Misty Fjords Air.
The seaplane company announced as of May 1, there will be a flight from Ketchikan to Prince Rupert, which will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Vice-president Dave Doyon Jr. said the 45-minute flight will go from downtown Ketchikan to Seal Cove, arriving in the afternoon on those days in time to catch connecting Air Canada flights to Vancouver. In Ketchikan, there will also be opportunity for connecting flights to Seattle, Anchorage and elsewhere through Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
The new service is all about connecting the two remote communities, which could only be accessed by a ferry since a previous flight was discontinued in 1999.
“Our goal is to reconnect the communities. We’re trying to open up some economic opportunities and really try to promote the weekend travellers to come in both directions,” Doyon Jr. said.
Connecting Alaskans to the tourism market in Canada is also a big goal, giving Americans access to Air Canada, Via Rail, Greyhound and the main highway, all things Ketchikans don’t have access to.
Misty Fjords Air will be in Rupert on Wednesday at the Prince Rupert Chamber of Commerce lunch to promote the new service and answer questions. The Ketchikan mayor, chamber of commerce representatives and others will also be making the trip.
“There’s a lot of great opportunities in both towns for recreation and shopping. We’re really pushing to promote the weekend travel. One of the big goals is getting the First Nations people connected again,” Doyon Jr. said.
The airline has a fleet of four planes right now, although they hope to be adding wheel service in the future. The company has been in business since 1981 as one of the oldest companies in Ketchikan. Doyon Jr. said they have a perfect safety record.
Cost for the new flight and any additional details will be announced on Wednesday.
