
We are celebrating the people at our cargo stations across the state of Alaska and the communities they serve. For other stories in this series, check out more People of Cargo.
STATION SPOTLIGHT: Kotzebue (OTZ)
STATION FACT: Kotzebue is one of three stations Alaska Air Cargo operates inside the Arctic Circle. The other two are Utqiagvik (BRW) and Prudhoe Bay (SCC). OTZ station details
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Reggie, ramp agent, 23 years with Alaska Airlines, and Lindsay, customer service agent, 16 years with Alaska Airlines
ALASKA LIFE FUN FACT: “It’s winter here nine months out of the year, so our schools don’t have football, soccer, baseball or track and field. The three main sports are basketball, volleyball and wrestling, and we take cold rides on a sled to basketball games to watch our kids play.” – Reggie
In the Northwest Alaska coastal community of Kotzebue, air cargo and travel are intertwined with family.
Longtime ramp agent Reggie and customer service agent Lindsay both grew up around planes and the Kotzebue airport, where their dads worked in the 1970s and ‘80s. “Now, we know a lot of folks here who fly and ship cargo, and we’re on a first-name basis with most of them,” Reggie said. He and Lindsay have relatives throughout the region and both trace their roots to Point Hope, 180 miles north of Kotzebue.
“It’s one big family, and we go out of our way to make sure people have what they need.” — Reggie
Whether they are handling urgent building materials for the region’s compressed summer construction season or moving dog teams and gear shipped in for the community’s marquee Kobuk 440 sled dog race, Reggie and Lindsay and their Alaska Airlines teammates take care to expedite cargo and communicate with customers quickly when their shipments are ready.
“We really learn our customers and have a special relationship with them, so they keep coming back,” Reggie said.


On the morning after the Kobuk 440 – a 440-mile race that winds through six villages in the early spring, and starts and ends in Kotzebue – Lindsay and Reggie took time between daily flights to Anchorage to talk about the challenges and joys of working in an airport 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle, where everybody knows their names.
What are some of the industries in Kotzebue that depend on Alaska Air Cargo?
Lindsay: “We have teachers, and we have the hospital. In the summer, we have construction. And we have the dog teams. This year, we had five teams compete [in the Kobuk 440], so we flew in five and flew out five.”

What’s involved in flying the dog sled teams for the Kobuk 440, one of the state’s last sled dog races of the season?
Lindsay: “There are 12 dogs to a team. One pallet for a team’s kennels and dogs. And then the second holds the team’s gear, food and sled.”
Reggie: “When you have multiple teams flying in and out, you have to keep everything separated and keep it moving in a timely and safe manner. The dogs and their teams are really valuable. And some of us also want to be involved in helping the teams however we can. Outside of flying the teams in, we also help deliver the dogs to host families or take care of the mushers or the gear.”
What is one way you support the construction companies as the building season starts in the spring?
Lindsay: “In the bidding season for local companies, they send out their bids to work in villages. They have a short time frame for that work, so when we’re open in the morning, I reach out and say, ‘Hey, we’re open at 8:30. Come on in and get your bid or your GoldStreak [Package Express] shipped out on the first flight.’ ”
What is especially challenging about working with cargo at an airport inside the Arctic Circle?
Reggie: “We don’t have the luxury of being able to unload our igloos [freighter ULD containers] inside, like you would in Anchorage or Seattle. We’re limited on space, so we do a lot of our work outside, working in the elements even during the winter. Whatever Mother Nature throws at you, we just roll with the punches and make sure we do everything in a timely manner and communicate. We make sure our guys take breaks to warm up, so they don’t get too cold or overwork.”
What is one thing that people should know about Kotzebue?
Reggie: “In the springtime and summertime, it’s beautiful … People are out ice fishing. You have the spring carnival, sled races and a bunch of activities going on. It’s heartfelt and people are really involved, and that draws the community together.”
