Sponsored Content

Who is PenAir?

Getting to know Humboldt County’s newest air travel carrier 

Earlier this year one of the largest Regional Airlines in Alaska was awarded an Essential Air Service (EAS) Contract for Crescent City, California. EAS is part of a U.S. Government program designed to guarantee commercial air service in smaller communities such as Crescent City.

PenAir began serving the community of Crescent City, California with daily flights out of Portland, Oregon. Portland became the airline’s West Coast hub. PenAir then took hold of the opportunity to serve additional communities based out of Portland, including Arcata-Eureka.

This airline—PenAir—bears all of the earmarks of an exciting new carrier: 

• PenAir has experienced unparalleled growth—fourteen new routes within the past four years
• PenAir is one of the largest operators of Saab 340 aircraft in the U.S.
• PenAir was the second airline in their state to receive the highly esteemed Medallion Shield Safety Award.

PenAir’s achievements stretch from Coast to Coast (literally).

Still, the question remains: Why fly PenAir? Despite employing over 600 employees across the country, PenAir maintains its Alaskan roots, family ownership, commitment to community, and deep culture of safety. Read on to learn more.

Alaska Grown

PenAir was founded as “Peninsula Airways” in 1955. The founder, Orin Seybert, named the company after the Alaska Peninsula, on which rests the city of PenAir’s founding, Pilot Point. Today, the company is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, its largest operating hub.

From Aniak to Unalakleet, PenAir serves ten Alaska destinations in total, including the two principal Pribilof Islands: St. Paul and St. George. Travelers of these routes include commercial salmon fisherman, dog mushers, and the like. The company slogan is fitting: “The Spirit of Alaska.”

Family-Owned

Orin Seybert founded PenAir at 19 years old for the purpose of flying fellow villagers and their families to the hospital for emergencies. The nearest hospital to Pilot Point is in Anchorage, which is 350+ miles North, accessible only by plane. Orin was the first in his area to receive a pilot’s license. He was the only resident of his area to own a plane.

Orin’s first plane was a 1946, two-seat Taylorcraft. As PenAir grew, additional aircraft were added to the fleet, and Orin added his son, Danny, to the team. On the 5th of May, 2015—Orin Seybert’s birthday— PenAir celebrated its 60th Anniversary.

Danny Seybert is now the Chief Executive Officer of PenAir and the majority shareholder (Orin owns the second majority). The family structured the company this way in order to better meet the needs of the communities they serve.

Committed to Community

Despite PenAir service being stretched from shore to shore, the company maintains strong relationships with the small communities it serves. When a new destination is launched at PenAir, one of the first questions their team asks is: “How can we get involved?”

PenAir puts on exciting events throughout their system, such as the PenAir “5k on the Runway,” hosted by the Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle each fall. A long-standing program of PenAir’s is “Project Graduation,” whereby the company awards certificates of travel to graduating High School Seniors system-wide. PenAir boasts a strong donation program, supporting community groups such as local sports teams, radio stations, and chambers of commerce.

Safety Culture

In 2005, PenAir was the second airline in Alaska to receive the Medallion Foundation’s Shield Award. The mission of the Medallion Foundation is to reduce aviation accidents by fostering a proactive safety culture and promoting higher safety standards through one-on-one mentoring, research, education, training, auditing, and advocacy.

In 2011, PenAir internally branded their central focus to be “Safety Through Compliance.” This move empowered their employee group to achieve a greater understanding of the company’s many policies— assuring that all requirements were (and still are) being met.

In recent years, the slogan was changed to “Safety Through Distinction.” Safety is taken seriously at PenAir. Employees are regularly reminded and encouraged that it is more important to “stop the operation” if a situation appears unsafe, than to meet a deadline.

Where PenAir Flies

Over the past several years PenAir has added several new hubs in addition to their long-standing service in Alaska. PenAir established an East Coast hub in Boston, Massachusetts; a West Coast hub in Portland, Oregon; and most recently a Midwest hub in Denver, Colorado.

In 2015, PenAir purchased its first Saab 2000 to accommodate growth. PenAir has a codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines, famous for its outstanding customer service, and works closely with Alaska to ensure travel is simple and convenient. PenAir’s customers are eligible to accrue Alaska Airlines Miles for their PenAir flights.

For more information and to book flights, visit PenAir.com.