Fuel issues in Alaska

Alaska, America’s last frontier, sits on a puddle of oil so big, you’d suspect it was doing well despite a worldwide oil crunch. Not so. Soaring fuel costs are affecting bush pilots, fishing charter captains, tour companies and homeowners, who struggle to heat their homes in long winters where temperatures reach 40 below zero.

The bush pilots’ plight is especially dire and threatens to change the very character of the state. The ubiquitous fliers are a key option for travelers seeking access to remote parks and fishing villages. More important, they are the only lifeline to residents of those towns and villages. If they cannot afford to fly, the towns are cut off from supplies and medical care.

“Aviation in Alaska is critical to our economy and public welfare,” said Christine Klein, a state transportation official.

Officials are scurrying for answers. Gov. Sarah Palin is considering giving residents lump sum payments of $1,200. Meanwhile, the state has begun rolling back lease increases at rural airports to help offset the pilots’ rising fuel costs, which have doubled in the last year, the Anchorage Daily News reported this week.

- Chris Erskine, Los Angeles Times Deputy Travel Editor

[Photo: Small commercial float planes; www.cdc.gov/niosh]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 10:05 am by Chris Erskine and is filed under Alaska, Frequent Flier. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.