Looking ahead to a postwar era of development never before equalled in the history of the Alaskan Territory, Pan American World Airways has announced proposed Clipper service to Anchorage, which will bring this key city into direct contact by air with the United States on a trunk route between Seattle, Wash,, and Fairbanks, in the heart of the Territory.
The proposed flights to Anchorage will utilize a fleet of modern twin-motored aircraft and is the first step possible in Pan American's program for expanded passenger and cargo service to Uncle Sam's northernmost outpost since the relaxation of military requirements as of Aug. 1. The U. S. gateway city of Seattle will be brought within ten hours by air to this Alaskan city of 13,000 inhabitants, in its turn, gateway to the productive Matanuska Valley and Bristol Bay regions.
Direct Clipper service to Anchorage has long been an intention of Pan American Airways but wartime restrictions on commercial utilization of available aircraft and the Jap invasion of the Aleutians delayed until now the air line's filing for a certificate before the Civil Aeronautics Board.
Currently nine trips weekly depart from Seattle for Fairbanks, via Juneau and Whitehorse (Yukon Territory). Three times weekly the Clippers shuttle between Fairbanks and Nome, port city on the Norton Sound. A weekly service is scheduled between Fairbanks and Bethel, on Alaska's West coast.
Air transport has been one of the greatest single factors contributing to the development of the economic life of Alaska, and Pan American has played the major role, for it was 12 years ago that it began its Alaska operations, with the organization of Pacific Alaska Airways in June, 1932. Pacific Alaska in its first few years tied in various points within the Territory, but had not yet branched out to connect with the United States. These operations became of such importance to the economy of the Territory, however, that by 1938 Pan American was laying plans for the operation of a route from Seattle to link Juneau and Alaska directly by air with continental U. S. Survey flights
were made with Sikorsky S42 flying boats with the intention of establishing direct sea-plane service. Later, in 1940, regular semi-weekly service commenced, utilizing giant
four-engined Clippers.
In 1941, the Canadian Government authorized the construction of a base at Prince George, British Columbia. Pan American immediately inaugurated express service from the U. S. gateway city of Seattle, via Prince George, to Juneau and Fairbanks. By the middle of 1942, once-a-day service between Alaska and the "outside" world was in operation.
When the Japs moved into the Aleutians in 1942 for what later proved to be a short-lived stay on American territory, the Clippers flying to Alaska went into emergency war service. Operating under contract to the Naval Air Transport Command, the Alasks Clippers carried men, vast quantities of materials, machinery and medicines to the Aleutian front, as well as maintained an essential communication line to other parts of the Territory.
Aug. 1, 1944, commercial service was once again resumed by the Clippers, after 23 months of flying for the navy. Of the Clippers' part in the northern campaigns against the Japs, the navy commented: "Pan American's efficient operations in one of the most difficult flying areas in the world substantially aided in overcoming the transportation problems coincident to waging war in the far North."
