ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The only flight service to a remote Alaska island village has been cut off for three weeks because a designated helicopter was sidelined by maintenance work.
Oregon-based Erickson Aviation spokeswoman Susie Elliott says service to Alaska's Little Diomede Island is expected to resume Saturday. The last flight to the tiny community of Diomede was Jan. 22.
Company officials say the helicopter was in Anchorage for maintenance when extensive problems were discovered on the aircraft. Elliott says a backup helicopter also had maintenance issues.
Elliott says maintenance has been completed on the primary helicopter, which was sent Friday to the western Alaska town of Nome, 135 miles southeast of the island.
Diomede city administrator Karen Kazingnuk says the village store shelves are bare, but plenty of food, except for milk, is available from the school and the village's Alaska Native corporation.
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