Era Aviation

Era Aviation

Company type	Private
Industry	Airline
Founded	1948
Founder	Carl Brady
Defunct	2009
Fate	Merged into Era Alaska (later rebranded as Corvus Airlines / Ravn Alaska)
Headquarters	Anchorage, Alaska , United States
Area served	Alaska, parts of Canada
Products	Scheduled passenger flights, commercial helicopter services
Parent	Rowan Companies (1967–2004), SEACOR Marine (2004–2009), Frontier Alaska Group (2009)
Website	flyravn.com

Era Aviation was an airline specializing in fixed-wing aircraft and commercial helicopter services, based in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. It provided scheduled passenger flights originating from Anchorage and Bethel, AK through a code sharing partnership with Alaska Airlines. The airline’s principal hub was located at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). Following a rebranding effort, Era Aviation became Corvus Airlines and currently operates under the name Ravn Alaska. Its corporate tagline was FlySmart. FlyEra.

History

Established in 1948 by Carl Brady, Era initially focused on commercial helicopter operations supporting mapping initiatives for the U.S. government. Over time, the company diversified into fixed-wing aviation while its rotorcraft segment, Era Helicopters, maintained operations across Alaska, California, and Louisiana. In 1967, Houston-based Rowan Companies purchased Era Aviation from its founder. Scheduled fixed-wing passenger flights commenced in May 1983, with routes including Anchorage to Bethel, Kenai, and Valdez by the following year.

Era’s aircraft lineup transitioned from Convair 580 turboprops to incorporate models such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-7 Dash 7, and eventually the DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprops. The fleet also expanded to include Beechcraft 1900C and 1900D variants. Most operations functioned as feeder flights for Alaska Airlines under the "AS" flight designation.

In late 2004, Rowan divested Era Aviation—including its Era Helicopters division—to SEACOR Marine (currently known as SEACOR Holdings). SEACOR integrated Houston-based Tex-Air Helicopters into Era Helicopters that same year but later sold off the fixed-wing segment while retaining the helicopter operations. The fixed-wing division subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

On February 27, 2009, The Frontier Alaska Group acquired Era Aviation along with Frontier Flying Service and Hageland Aviation. This consolidation resulted in Alaska’s largest airline by destinations served, fleet size, and passenger volume. Initially marketed under the names Era Alaska/Frontier Alaska, the merged entities eventually unified their branding as Ravn Alaska/Ravn Connect.

Destinations

Prior to merging into Era Alaska, Era Aviation operated scheduled passenger flights to numerous locations throughout Alaska and parts of Canada. Its central hub was at Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) in Anchorage:

• Aniak, Alaska
• Barrow, Alaska (via Fairbanks)
• Bethel, Alaska (regional village service center)
• Cordova, Alaska
• Deadhorse, Alaska (Prudhoe Bay, Alaska)
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Galena, Alaska
• Homer, Alaska
• Iliamna, Alaska
• Kenai, Alaska
• Kodiak, Alaska
• St. Mary's, Alaska
• Unalakleet, Alaska
• Valdez, Alaska
• Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada – Era’s sole international destination

Following the merger, Ravn Alaska broadened its network to serve over 100 communities across the state.

Fleet

At the merger point, Era's aircraft inventory comprised:

• 3 units of the Beechcraft 1900D
• 10 units of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q100

Historically flown aircraft included the STOL-capable turboprops: the Convair 580, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and the DHC-7 Dash 7. Additionally, Era operated a business jet model Learjet 35 for aeromedical transport missions and conducted sightseeing tours using Douglas DC-3 planes under the banner of Era Classic Airlines.

Buyout, divestiture and bankruptcy

From 1967 until its acquisition by SEACOR Marine (currently known as SEACOR Holdings) in late 2004 for $118.1 million, Era Aviation was under the ownership of Rowan Companies. SEACOR maintained control over Era Helicopters, which later combined with the Bristow Group in 2020.

After the transfer of ownership, Era Aviation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection toward the end of 2005. In 2009, the company was purchased by competitor Frontier Alaska Group, which initiated the integration of Frontier Flying Service's operations into Era's operating certificate.

The year 2010 saw the creation of Era Alaska through the unification of assets from Frontier Alaska Group, Frontier Flying Service, Era Aviation, and Hageland Aviation Services. Subsequently, in 2014, the parent organization adopted the name Corvus Airlines, operating under the trade name Ravn Alaska.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

External links

• flyravn.com