Clippyrip,
Who is flying Alaska cargo, if it isn't NWA? That has always been a big market. Is the traffic bypassing ANC?
Are you asking about the cargo that comes and stays or about cargo going through the state?
Cargo is still strong going through ANC but NWA is becoming less and less a player. Most of the cargo that I have seen on NWA seems to come in from Asia destined for the lower 48 and vise versa. They still bring in a large amounts for AK but the real issue is NWAs marketing, sales and management of the cargo product. Our maintenance was killing us for a while...supposedly that has been resolved with a more dedicated maintenance division and a hanger in ANC.
Alaska Air has a strong cargo division but Alaskas biggest cargo suppliers are the barges that come into the port of Anchorage. On the air side of things, the usual suspects all have a part...World, Kalitta, Polar, etc.
I believe Alaska and Hawaii are the only two states in the union that allow cargo to come into the state and change planes and leave the state without ever having to visit customs. So long as the cargo is not destined for the state, it bypasses customs until its next port of US entry. That is one of the big reasons UPS and FEDEX have made it a strong hub. Its a shorter flight from Asia which means more cargo and less gas. Also, when it hits ANC they can switch the loads to appropriate planes to different parts of the US with out having to deal with customs. Very handy.
Ultimately, I don't see how cargo is not a money maker. We have full loads from what I have seen. Sometimes I wonder if its a matter of how the books are cooked...a shell game of hiding the nut or maybe robbing Peter to pay Paul. Cargo has always been the red headed step child and ANC is always discussed when the budget is an issue. They have been talking about closing this place for ten years. I guess we will wait and see. If it is up to me, I will fly the last flight out of this base strait to the desert.
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