Northern Air Cargo will begin offering direct cargo flights between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in early October.
The new service is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 with departures three times a week — Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from Seattle, arriving the following mornings in Anchorage, according to a news release from the airline. Freight can then connect into Northern Air Cargo’s statewide network.
Company officials said the Seattle–Anchorage route is designed to improve access to food, medicine, construction materials and other supplies for rural Alaska. Shipments from Seattle can reach Nome and Kotzebue in as little as 12 hours and Utqiagvik and Bethel in about 18 hours, the release states. The route also provides Anchorage businesses with a consistent link south and creates opportunities for seafood and other fresh products to reach Pacific Northwest markets quickly.
“This new route provides our customers with a vital resource,” Dave Karp, president of Northern Air Cargo, stated in the release. “We’re offering a tool for businesses and communities to partner with an experienced Alaskan cargo carrier that puts customer service first. Many NAC employees grew up in rural Alaska, and we understand the need. Our focus is on relationships and communication, finding solutions, and delivering the level of care and dependability our customers deserve.”
The service will operate on Northern Air Cargo’s newest Boeing 737-800 Next Generation freighter, supported by its existing fleet of 737-300s and 737-400s. The company also highlighted its cold chain preservation system, which uses tracking and eco-friendly insulation to keep perishables and medicine at the proper temperature throughout their journey.
Northern Air Cargo has served Alaska since 1956 and describes itself as the state’s largest all-cargo airline. The company said the new Seattle–Anchorage service continues its long-standing role as a cargo backbone for rural Alaska communities.
