DOT&PF Awarded $12.4 Million SMART Grant for Use of Drones in Rural and Remote Alaska

Improving the safety of Alaskans in rural and remote areas took a significant step forward recently with a $12.4 million SMART Grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). This funding will enable the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to implement the Scalable Operations and Advanced Remote Technologies (SOAR) Initiative. The […]

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NATA and Alaska Air Carriers Association Form Partnership to Elevate Aviation Business Safety and Success

NATA (National Air Transportation Association) and the Alaska Air Carriers Association (AACA) announced a partnership providing structure for advancing the safety and success of air carriers, while contributing to the greater good of aviation businesses nationwide. NATA and AACA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at the exchange of expertise and information through committee […]

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Merlin Successfully Completes FAA-Contracted, Alaska-Based Flight Trials for Nation’s First Air Cargo Network Flown by a Non-Human Pilot

Merlin has announced it successfully completed 25 test flights in Alaska following a $1 million contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to demonstrate a highly automated flight control system in conjunction with a safety pilot. In partnership with the FAA-designated University of Alaska Fairbanks UAS Test Site and Everts Air Cargo, the test flights […]

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NTSB Says Air Tour Safety in Popular Alaska Destination Needs to be Improved, Urges FAA to Act

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to issue special regulations to address flight safety hazards specific to air tour operations in Ketchikan, Alaska. In a report issued last week, the NTSB said that seven air tour airplane crashes in and around Ketchikan since 2007, killing 31 people and seriously […]

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