Bering Air

In early 1975, Jim Rowe and three college friends embarked on a journey from northern Michigan, and traveled across America in a Cessna 195, landing in Mexico's Baja California peninsula, and eventually settling on the beaches of Nome, Alaska. A few years later, in September 1979, Bering Air was established. It commenced operations on October 3, 1979, with a single De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. Later, in 1983, with instigation of the increasingly popular bypass mail system, the airline added other small aircraft, including the Piper Navajo, Beech 18, and Piper Seneca. Bering Air, in favor of modern, turbine powered aircraft, later phased out aircraft equipped with radial engines. Thus, the Beechcraft King Air 200, Beechcraft 1900D, Cessna Caravan, and CASA C-212 were introduced. Furthermore, off airport duties were transferred to helicopters, instead of older piston powered aircraft. In 2015, the airline upgraded its fleet with eight Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan aircraft replacing its older Cessna 208B aircraft. Today, the airline is wholly owned by Jim Rowe (President) and Christine Rowe.

In July 2020 Bering Air bought at Ravn Alaska's bankruptcy auction the facilities in Aniak, Kotzebue, Nome and Unalakleet.

Fleet

As of February 2025, the Bering Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Retired fleet

Bering Air has previously operated the following aircraft:

Community services

Bering Air, along with Grant Aviation, Frontier Flying Service, Northern Air Cargo, PenAir, and Ryan Air Services, participates in the Flying Can service, which allows rural Alaskan communities to recycle aluminum cans and now number 1 PET bottles in cooperation with Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling.

Bering Air provides free delivery on scheduled flights for Airport Pizza, a pizzeria at Nome Airport that takes orders from remote locations served by Bering Air.

Accidents and incidents

December 10, 1987 – N9979M, an air taxi cargo flight Cessna 207 Skywagon, crashed into mountains due to bad weather conditions, killing the pilot.

January 5, 1993 – N900YH, a Mitsubishi MU-2, crashed into the Bering Sea due to fuel starvation, injuring the pilot.

December 18, 1995 – N340K, a Beechcraft G18S, crashed into the ground due to an in-flight fire shortly after takeoff from Nome Airport, injuring the pilot.

September 8, 1997 – N1123R, a Cessna 208 Caravan, collided with a Cessna 402 while preparing to depart from Buckland Airport. All 17 people on board both planes were evacuated uninjured.

March 2, 2003 – N205BA, a Cessna 208 Caravan, crashed into snow-covered sea ice due to a whiteout condition. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was repaired.

October 24, 2005 – N1263Y, a Cessna 208 Caravan, crashed into the ground due to pilot error. The two pilots were injured and the aircraft was repaired.