Oregon Public Broadcasting

ALASKA AND HORIZON AIRLINES RESUMED FLIGHTS OUT OF SEA-TAC AIRPORT MONDAY. BUT BOTH AIRLINES ARE FLYING SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SCHEDULES.

ONLY ABOUT ONE THIRD OF ALASKA’S REGULAR DEPARTURES ARE DUE TO TAKE OFF FROM SEA-TAC. HORIZON HAS CANCELLED ABOUT 100 FLIGHTS.

RIGHT NOW, NO FLIGHTS ARE OPERATING TO AND FROM PORTLAND, OREGON BECAUSE OF SNOW AND ICE AT THE AIRPORT.

AFTER DAYS OF DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS, BOTH AIRLINES SUSPENDED OPERATIONS ENTIRELY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. HORIZON SPOKESPERSON JEN BOYER SAYS TOO MANY PROBLEMS HAD PILED UP. 

Jen Boyer: “We’ve started to run out of fresh crews, aircraft were coming up against needing maintenance, we had weather delays we were running low on de-icing fluid in Seattle, all of this stuff compounded into requiring us to stop yesterday and regroup, we pulled as much stuff together as much as we could in finding fresh crews and getting people some rest as well as getting aircraft maintained, but now the weather is not cooperating.”

BOYER SAYS 3 SHIPMENTS OF DE-ICING FLUID HAVE BEEN DELAYED BY WEATHER. TWO TANKER TRUCKS ARE TRYING TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS, AND ANOTHER RAIL SHIPMENT HAS BEEN STUCK BEHIND A FROZEN SWITCH.

ALASKA AIRLINES SAYS IT HOPES TO HAVE A FULL SCHEDULE OPERATING BY TUESDAY. BUT HORIZON IS MAKING NO SUCH PREDICTION.

THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS ARE STRANDED AT THE AIRPORT, WAITING FOR FLIGHTS OUT.