Yute Air suddenly discontinues service in Western Alaska

A Bethel-based airline that provides passenger and freight service to more than 20 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta has suddenly closed its doors for good.

Yute Air announced on Saturday afternoon that it would be ceasing operations in Western Alaska effective immediately.

“All of us at Yute Air would like to thank the people of the YK Delta for your business over the years,” the airliner wrote in a Facebook post. “We are saddened to tell you that Yute Air has shut down.”

The announcement did not provide a reason for the decision. Yute Air’s director of operations Dan Knesek did not immediately respond to calls or emails from Channel 2 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ravn Alaska has announced that it will be honoring all purchased Yute Air Reservations until March 31st. The airline also said it will be opening four new routes from Bethel to the villages of Napakiak, Napaskiak, Goodnews Bay and Platinum starting on Sunday.

“We understand the surprising nature of the discontinuation of Yute Air services and that it may cause disruption in travel plans,” said Ravn president Jim Hickerson in a prepared statement. “Ravn Alaska is committed to filling the void in service immediately, as seamlessly and conveniently as possible.”

The announcement by Yute Air came as a shock to several of the company’s employees working as village agents throughout the Y-K Delta region.

“They called me yesterday afternoon and told me they’re no longer doing business,” said George Mark who, until Saturday, worked as a village agent in Quinhagak. He said he had only been working for Yute Air for about a month. Now he has to find another job.

“No reason at all, they just told me they were no longer doing business,” Mark said. “Now I'm out of work right now and I guess I'll have to look for another opening elsewhere”

“There was no advance notice, they just told me, one phone call and that was it. They didn’t give me a heads up notice,” said Rose Williams, a former Yute Air agent in Akiak. "There's no longer any competition and airfare is going to go skyrocketing."