Alaska’s Servant Air loses interstate certification again

For the second time in as many years, the United States Department of Transport (DoT) has revoked Alaska’s Servant Air (Fairbanks Int’l)’s certificate to perform scheduled interstate operations for reasons of dormancy. However, it does not prevent the company from filing for a new certificate authority in the future. In a regulatory notice dated May 20, 2021, the DOT said Servant Air had ceased operations on March 29, 2017, but on December 1, 2017, had filed a notice requesting to resume seven roundtrips per week between Kodiak and Ouzinkie in Alaska, using one Piper (single piston) PA-32 Cherokee Six seating six passengers. The request was granted on May 25, 2018. Still, the carrier failed to submit the necessary information, such as appropriate operating authority from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and required liability insurance coverage, within the year deadline set for May 25, 2019. Consequently, on December 19, 2019, the DOT revoked the carrier’s interstate certificate for the first time for dormancy reasons. Servant Air then filed a petition for a review of the DOT’s order granted on June 12, 2020. The airline was given an extension until July 30, 2020, to provide the necessary information. With that order, the department had also lifted the then revocation of the carrier’s certificate authority. However, Servant Air had missed the deadline. The airline had only filed documentation on September 11 and 15, 2020, which the DOT found to be deficient. Servant Air had not updated its current operating plans, failed to provide a complete copy of its operations specifications from the FAA, an update on its key personnel experience, a list of pre-operating expenses, and an affidavit certifying that its aircraft was airworthy. The information it did provide also presented several questions. The DOT said the airline had not complied with requirements despite having been granted multiple opportunities to do so. The department, therefore, decided to revoke its interstate certification to engage in air transport of persons, property, and mail, effective May 20, 2021.