PORTLAND — SeaPort Airlines notified Port of Port Angeles staff late Tuesday that it is postponing scheduled air service from Port Angeles to SeaTac indefinitely due to a pilot shortage.
Regularly scheduled air service from William R. Fairchild Airport to SeaTac International Airport was set to begin March 1.
No timetable for the start-up of service was announced.
SeaPort Airlines is also postponing their planned service from Moses Lake to Seattle and Portland.
The airline announced late last week that it cancelled service in several states including California, Kansas and Missouri.
The shortage of qualified airline pilots has been cited as a significant problem for SeaPort.
As an example of that shortage, SeaPort representatives said that as of last Saturday, it had 17 pilots available, but needed 54 to keep up its schedule, according to the Salina Journal.
Regularly scheduled air service at William R. Fairchild International Airport is one of the Port’s key targets in their current strategic plan.
The Port of Port Angeles will continue to strive to restore air service to Port Angeles.
The Port will be working with U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer’s office to determine if and how they can help address the pilot shortage in order to re-establish commercial air service to Port Angeles.
