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PenAir puts Homer on the backburner

PenAir

Peninsula Airways, better known as PenAir, no longer plans to establish itself in Homer. But Vice President of Marketing and Sales for PenAir, Melissa Roberts, said that doesn’t mean the airline won’t provide service here in the future.

“I’m sure as many of your readers are probably aware, PenAir is currently in bankruptcy and the courts have appointed a trustee with the intent of selling PenAir,” she said. “So PenAir will be bid out to interested bidding companies.”

PenAir has been working on a deal to lease space at the Homer Airport since May, but the pending sale placed immediate plans to bring the airline to town on the backburner.

However there's always the opportunity with the new company that bids and wins the sale of PenAir that they very well would take off from where we've started and find Homer to be a viable route,” she said.

Roberts said Wexford Capital LP put in a bid to buy the airline and Alaska Airlines expressed interest. She added that PenAir will likely be sold by early-October.

The City of Homer was ready to lease space to PenAir at the Homer Airport, but City Manager Katie Koester told KBBI in July that the city had not heard back from the airliner after its initial offer. It’s unknown if the city has interest in renewing a deal once PenAir is under new ownership. City manager Katie Koester was not able to comment for this story. 

Renee joined KBBI in 2017 as a general assignment reporter and host. Her work has appeared on such shows as Weekend Edition Saturday, The World, Marketplace and Studio 360. Renee previously interned as a reporter for KPCC in Los Angeles and as a producer for Stateside at Michigan Radio. Her work has earned her numerous press club awards. She holds an M.S. in journalism from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in women's studies from the University of Michigan.
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