Era Aviation

For the current airline formerly known as Era Alaska, seeRavn Alaska.

Era Aviation

IATA ICAO Call sign 7H ERH ERAH
Founded	1948 (as Economy Helicopters)
Commenced operations	1948
Ceased operations	February 27, 2009 (bought by Frontier Alaska Group, name change toEra Alaskaand nowRavn Alaska). After the original operational group, Era Helicopters, now part ofBristow Group,having left common ownership on July 1st, 2004.
Hubs	Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan – Era Aviation FlyAway Rewards
Fleet size	12
Destinations	up to 32
Parent company	Era Aviation, Inc
Headquarters	Anchorage, Alaska,U.S.

Era Aviationwas a fixed wingairlineas well as a commercial helicopter operation based inAnchorage, Alaska,United States. It operated a network of scheduled fixed wing passenger services from Anchorage as well as fromBethel, AKon behalf ofAlaska Airlinesvia acode sharingagreement. Its main base was located at theTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport(ANC).Era Aviation has since been renamedCorvus Airlineswho currently do business asRavn Alaska.The company slogan wasFlySmart. FlyEra.

History

Era Aviation was established and initiated operations in 1948 whenCarl Bradyflew the first commercial helicopter to Alaska for contract work supporting a mapping project for the U.S. government. Fixed wing aircraft were then acquired by the company in addition to helicopters with rotorcraft being operated in Alaska, California and Louisiana by theEra Helicoptersdivision.In 1967, Houston-basedRowan Companies,purchased the company from founder Carl Brady.Scheduled fixed wing passenger services began in May 1983. During the summer of 1984, Era was operating scheduled services between Anchorage and Bethel, Kenai and Valdez.The airline formerly operatedConvair 580turboprops as well asde Havilland CanadaDHC-6 Twin OtterandDHC-7 Dash 7aircraft and then addedDHC-8Dash 8turboprops. Most of the airline's scheduled passenger flights werecode sharefeeder services forAlaska Airlines.Era used the two-letter "AS" airline code for its flight numbers on these services for Alaska Airlines.Beechcraft 1900CandBeechcraft 1900Dturboprops were subsequently added to the fleet.

In late 2004,Rowan Companiessold Era Aviation (including theEra Helicoptersdivision which subsequently merged with theBristow Group,a large, U.S.-based international and domestic commercial helicopter operator, in 2020) to SEACOR Marine (nowSEACOR Holdings). Rowan had owned Era Aviation including theEra Helicoptersdivision since 1967 before selling Era to SEACOR. SEACOR in turn had acquired Houston-based Tex-Air Helicopters in 2002 and then merged Tex-Air into Era Helicopters in 2004.SEACOR subsequently sold the Era Aviation fixed wing operation, but retainedEra Helicopters.The new owners of the Era Aviation fixed wing operation then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Effective February 27, 2009, Era Aviation, Inc. was bought out and became a subsidiary of The Frontier Alaska Group along with Frontier Flying Service and Hageland Aviation. The combination of the three air carriers resulted in the largest Alaska-based airline in terms of serving more destinations and passengers operated with the largest airplane fleet in the state. The three airlines then operated under the marketing name ofEra Alaska/Frontier Alaska(Hagland Aviation and Frontier Flying Services) which has since changed the marketing name of all the airlines toRavn Alaska/Ravn Connect brands.

Destinations

Era Aviation operated scheduled passenger services to the following destinations in Alaska and Canada at various times over the years prior to the merger which createdEra Alaska.

Most flights were operated from its hub located at theTed Stevens International Airport(ANC) inAnchorage:

• Aniak, Alaska
• Barrow, Alaska(via an intermediate stop in Fairbanks)
• Bethel, Alaska(hub for village service flights)
• Cordova, Alaska
• Deadhorse, Alaska(Prudhoe Bay, Alaska)
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Galena, Alaska
• Homer, Alaska
• Iliamna, Alaska
• Kenai, Alaska
• Kodiak, Alaska
• St. Mary's, Alaska
• Unalakleet, Alaska
• Valdez, Alaska
• Whitehorse,Yukon, Canada-only international route flown by Era

In addition, Ravn Alaska offers scheduled service to more than 100 communities statewide.

Fleet

Era Aviation De Havilland Canada DHC-8-103

The Corvus fleet included the following aircraft (upon merger):

• 3Beechcraft 1900D
• 10Bombardier Dash 8 Q100

Era Aviation previously operatedConvair 580turboprop aircraft as well asde Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterandDHC-7 Dash 7turboprop aircraft. The Twin Otter and Dash 7 are short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. The company also operated aLear 35business jet; however, this aircraft was not used in scheduled passenger airline operations but instead for aeromedical air ambulance services. A flight seeing air tour service withDouglas DC-3aircraft was also operated from Anchorage as Era Classic Airlines.

Buyout, divestiture and bankruptcy

Era Aviation was owned byRowan Companiesfrom 1967 until late 2004. On Jan. 4, 2005, Rowan announced the sale of Era to SEACOR Marine (nowSEACOR Holdings) effective on Dec. 30, 2004 for $118.1 million in cash. Six months later, ownership of Era Aviation changed hands again with SEACOR retaining ownership ofEra Helicopters,formerly a division of Era Aviation. Era Helicopters then merged with theBristow Group,a large commercial helicopter operator, in 2020.Approximately six months later, the new ownership of Era Aviation filed for Chapter 11bankruptcyin late 2005. In 2009 the company was acquired by rival Frontier Alaska Group with the Frontier Flying Service Part 121 mainline operation being engaged in the process of being merged into Era Aviation's operating certificate.In 2010,Era Alaskawas formed using the assets ofFrontier Alaska Group,Frontier Flying Service,Era Aviation, andHageland Aviation.In 2014, Era's parent company changed its name to Corvus Airlines d/b/aRavn Alaska.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

External links

• flyravn