Frontier Flying Service
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Richard McIntyre |
| Fate | Merged into Ravn Connect |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks, Alaska , United States |
Area served | Alaska, United States, Canada |
Key people | John Hajdukovich (owner from 1974) |
| Products | Scheduled commuter and mail delivery services, charter flights |
Frontier Flying Service (operating as Ravn Connect) was a U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fairbanks, Alaska. It specialized in scheduled commuter and mail delivery services primarily to remote Alaskan bush areas north of Fairbanks, while also offering charter flights to destinations within the contiguous United States and Canada.
The airline's primary hub was located at Fairbanks (Fairbanks International Airport), with additional operational centers in Utqiagvik, Anchorage, Kotzebue, and Bethel.
History
Established in 1950 by retired Air Force Colonel Richard McIntyre, Frontier Flying Service began by providing mail transport for Wien Air Alaska and offering charter services throughout Alaska’s bush regions. Ownership transferred to John Hajdukovich in 1974.
In 2005, the company expanded its route network through a merger with Cape Smythe Air Services, while maintaining its original branding.
By early 2008, Frontier initiated a merger with Hageland Aviation Services, uniting operations under the "Frontier Alaska" name. Under this arrangement, Frontier Flying Service concentrated on main hubs utilizing Beech 1900C aircraft, whereas Hageland Aviation focused on direct point-to-point flights to smaller villages. This integration resulted in the largest commuter airline in Alaska by both fleet size and route coverage.
On July 8, 2008, Alaska Airlines announced it would enter a code-share agreement with Frontier Alaska beginning that fall.
Frontier Alaska further expanded its market presence by acquiring competitor Era Aviation on February 27, 2009.
By 2014, after streamlining its fleet and integrating into the HoTH Airline group, Frontier Flying Service operated both cargo and passenger charters for Ravn-branded entities such as Corvus Airlines and Hageland Aviation under the Era Alaska (Ravn Connect) brand.
Following Ravn Alaska's bankruptcy filing in 2020, its assets were distributed among several Alaskan carriers.
Fleet
As of 2011, the Frontier Flying Service fleet consisted of the following aircraft:
| Aircraft Type | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Piper PA-31-350 | 2 |
| Raytheon Beech BE-1900-C | 3 |
| Shorts SD3-30 | 2 |
Destinations
By 2007, Frontier Flying Service provided scheduled services to numerous locations across Alaska, including major regional airports such as:
- Anchorage (ANC) - Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- Bethel (BET) - Bethel Airport
- Fairbanks (FAI) - Fairbanks International Airport
- Nome (OME) - Nome Airport
- Kotzebue (OTZ) - Ralph Wien Memorial Airport
- Barrow (BRW) - Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport
- Deadhorse (SCC) - Deadhorse Airport
- Galena (GAL) - Edward G. Pitka Sr. Airport
- Wainwright (AIN) - Wainwright Airport
- Kivalina (KVL) - Kivalina Airport
This broad network aligned with Frontier's strategic focus on linking isolated Alaskan communities and strengthening its position within the regional air transportation market.
Community engagement
Frontier Flying Service collaborated with Bering Air, Grant Aviation, Northern Air Cargo, PenAir, and Ryan Air to support the Flying Can initiative. This program facilitated the recycling of aluminum cans and PET bottles in remote Alaskan communities through a partnership with Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling.
Accidents and incidents
- On October 30, 1979, the Douglas C-47B with registration N99663 was declared a total loss following a landing mishap at Bettles Airport, Alaska. During a cargo flight originating from Fairbanks International Airport to Ambler Airport with a stopover in Bettles, the aircraft collided with three stationary planes, resulting in significant damage to all four involved aircraft.