Security Aviation: providing Alaska-style business class: two of Security Aviation's fleet of four Cessna Conquests. These pressurized, twin-engine turbo prop aircraft cruise at more than 300 mph. They are ideally suited for Alaska climate and challenging runway conditions.

• Author: Stomierowski, Peg
• Position: AVIATION

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Alaska has a substantial appetite for air charter service and corporate air charters are poised to take advantage of recovering economic conditions. "There will always be demand for corporate charter service, and that demand fluctuates with business development," said Jason Ward, senior vice president, sales and marketing, for Security Aviation, based at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

"Corporate charters area way of doing business up here," he says. "How busy Security Aviation is, is a litmus test of the demand for growth and development in the state of Alaska--if we're doing a lot of site visits, businesses are doing estimates and bids are being made on construction projects."

This year, events in the Gulf of Mexico led to adverse reactions in Washington, D.C., with unfavorable consequences to Alaska businesses.

"Certainly, we would have expected more business had the current administration not shut down offshore drilling," Ward said. "It's had a big impact up here. Overbearing regulation on a number of levels regarding natural resource development managed to curtail what corporations had planned for Alaska this year."

Security Aviation has been in business for 25 years; its primary business consists of corporate charters and contract work for corporations and government agencies. In one of their twin-engine turbo props, Ward said, "It takes two hours to fly to the oil fields on the North Slope."

Security's fleet includes six aircraft: four Cessna Conquests, seating up to nine passengers; and two twin-engine Piper Navajos, seating up to eight.

"Security Aviation anticipates having a light jet on their certificate by the first of the year," Ward said. "The nine passenger jet will be a nice compliment to our existing fleet. The jet will allow us to reach out and offer true non-stop jet service to paved runways throughout Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48, including the Hawaiian Islands."

The company does fly to gravel strips and remote locations, Ward says, but fishing lodge and tourism flights are not the primary source of business.

"By catering to safety-sensitive companies and the corporate side of the house, we strive to set ourselves apart from Bush flying companies," Ward says. "We've maintained a level of safety unprecedented in the state. All our pilots are career Alaska pilots with high flying time--high Alaska time."

To fly for Security, pilots must have a minimum of 4,000 hours--of that, 1,000...