Alpine Air Express is building on its heritage while embracing next-generation technology
Alpine Air Express (Alpine) operates in the air freight business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Alpine Aviation, Inc. Alpine has held its FAR Part 135 air carrier certificate since 1979. As a non-scheduled, on demand air-cargo operator with over 40 years of experience as a profitable business, Alpine has earned a strong reputation with the FAA, its clients, and its employees.
With a 99-percent on-time performance rate, Alpine excels in meeting customer requirements in terms of required flight schedules. Alpine and its team refer to its
customer Price-Performance Promise. The 3 Ps govern its operation and customer relationships. The company is one of the largest regional air cargo providers in the US, with routes servicing regions throughout the United States and into Canada. It operates service contracts, transporting packages and other time-sensitive cargo for numerous fortune 50 companies.
“Alpine is a 40-year-old company carrying out last air mile logistics for companies shipping expedited packages, including all of the major e-commerce companies utilizing next day air services,” Michael Dancy, President and CEO states. “To put it simply, we typically transport three to 5000 pounds in weight across the US, traveling distances up to 1500 miles. Initially established to service the states of Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, we specialize in helping carriers serve large rural areas. The US has a significant population in rural regions, but these residents expect the same delivery standards as people living in LA or New York.
“Over the last 40 years, we’ve become well positioned with proprietary programs and services, which has provided us with a competitive advantage in the industry. We fly for scheduled carriers, but we also operate a strong unscheduled business, particularly for ad hoc car parts, medical diagnostic and treatment products or some of the many components that form a critical part of our manufacturing infrastructure in the US. We support other carriers and brokers in critical areas of the country, moving an average of three-to-five pallets per shipment. Another large portion of our business is in the radiopharmaceuticals market, where we carry radiography equipment used for cancer diagnostics and treatment on both a scheduled and unscheduled basis.
“We own/operate 80 aircraft and complete around 200 flights per day for our carriers,” he continues. “Our fleet includes a whole series of Beechcraft aircraft, including Beech 99, Beech 1900D, and Beech 1900C models, and I believe we’re the world’s largest operator of the Beech 1900s series.”
Aimed at maximizing efficiency, Alpine has recently invested over $5 million to create the Alpine Super Freighter aircraft by modifying a Beechcraft 1900D from a passenger aircraft to a cargo carrier. “We own the right to this supplemental type certificate (STC), which gives us a competitive edge,” Michael states. “The Alpine Super Freighter modification is a revolutionary feat of engineering, proving everyone wrong when it came to the benefits this modification would entail. With a 40 percent capacity increase, 23 percent range increase, and seven percent speed increase compared to the industry standard 1900C model, we can now deliver more at a lower cost than ever before, leading to higher efficiency for both us and our clients.
“As it currently stands, the Alpine Super Freighter is the largest single-pilot cargo aircraft in the world,” he adds. “The efficiency benefits are unrivalled. Our primary customer, UPS, for instance, was operating two aircraft on many routes to meet growing e-commerce demand, but we can now use the Super Freighter on busy routes to reduce the cost per cubic meter. Having gained an STC from the FAA, we’ve also received approval from Transport Canada and EASA to utilize this aircraft in Canada and across Europe.”
Although primarily an airline, the modification and development of the Super Freighter model clearly demonstrate Alpine’s engineering expertise. “Aside from the Super Freighter, our engineering team offer some excellent services, such as developing all-glass cockpits, acting as the test operator for new composite five-blade propellers and replacing old systems with next-generation aviation software,” Michael explains. “We’re committed to developing products and innovations that solve customer problems, and we often pivot to become more of an engineering company if and when customer requirements allow.”
Alpine is also active in the field of sustainability, having signed a Letter of Intent to purchase up to 75 ERA aircraft, a hybrid-electric regional transport aircraft from AURA AERO. “Most aircraft serving the regional cargo markets are expensive to maintain, so we’re looking to utilize sustainable, next-generation technology to provide long-term cost controls for our customers,” Michael reveals. “This model is tailored to the measurements required for palletized cargo and features eight engines, complete with an on-board generator power unit that uses jet fuel to efficiently charge batteries, which are then used to propel the aircraft. Leveraging this technology would also enable us to reduce our operating costs and pass these savings on to our customers while also decarbonizing our operations.”
In a press release about the Letter of Intent (July 2024), AURA AERO’s CEO and co-founder, Jérémy Caussade, commented: “We are delighted to be taking a further step forward in our collaboration with Alpine Air Express, which started last year. This order underscores confidence in ERA’s ability to deliver, not only in terms of environmental sustainability but also in operational cost savings and performance. We believe the ERA cargo aircraft will set a new standard in the cargo market.”
As Alpine prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026, Michael shares his thoughts on the company’s past and his plans for the future. “Reflecting on the last 50 years or so, it’s clear that Alpine’s success is all down to our team,” he states. “We’re fortunate to have a very skilled and dedicated labor force who share our passions for the company, the aircraft, and the people flying them. It’s an honor to watch this business grow and flourish; what started with around 20 aircraft has grown significantly to owning/operating 80 aircraft today.
“It’s difficult to predict the future because of global economic and geopolitical instability,” Michael concludes. “However, we see UPS, among other clients, becoming even more efficient, and there’s potential for us to grow our presence in the radiopharmaceuticals sector. Performance remains key, as people expect their deliveries to arrive on time. We’ve hired several industry experts to concentrate on our service levels, and as we develop the next generation of aircraft, we’re striving to maintain our competitive price and performance metrics.”