The United States Department of Transport (DoT) has reversed the revocation of Servant Air’s certificate to perform scheduled interstate operations, allowing it to commence operations in Alaska later this year.
In December 2019, the DoT revoked Servant Air’s interstate certificate for reasons of dormancy after initially finding it able to provide these services in May 2018. The DoT, on June 12 this year, said it had reviewed a petition filed by Servant Air and “upon review of the record, we find that Servant remains fit to conduct interstate scheduled operations as a certificated air carrier,” and revoked its December 2019 decision.
The DoT noted that Servant Air was found fit to fly in June 1998 and did so until April 2017, when it ceased all operations. It then underwent several ownership changes. In May 2018, the carrier was again fit to fly and had intended to operate flights between Kodiak and Ouzinkie in Alaska but as nothing further transpired, its certificate authority to fly was revoked by the DoT on the basis of dormancy.
Servant Air, in January 2020, submitted a petition to review the dormancy order, saying amongst others that administrative delays and events impeded the start of operations in 2019. It said it does not intend to start its proposed scheduled passenger operations until June 15, 2020. “Servant Air provided amended operations specifications showing that the air carrier was issued operation specifications authorising seasonal operations beginning on June 15, 2020,” the DoT said.
The Department stated it had issued a waiver and extension from the provisions of dormancy until July 30, 2020. “We fully expect our actions here will enable Servant Air to commence its proposed operations by July 30, 2020,” it said.
On May 29, Servant Air informed the Federal Aviation Administration that it proposed starting operations on June 15 and also requested its sole aircraft, a Piper (single piston) PA-32, be placed in long-term storage for a minimum of 90 days.
