SEATTLE, May 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A fish-filled
Alaska Airlines jet touched down at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport shortly after 6 a.m. today,
carrying 18,000 pounds of wild Alaska Copper River salmon — about
4,500 more pounds than the weight of a Learjet 31. A second plane
carrying an additional 30,000 pounds is scheduled to arrive in
Seattle around 10:20 a.m. Today officially marks the start of
the salmon season that is anticipated by seafood lovers throughout
the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Alaska Airlines will operate up to five more flights today
transporting the coveted Copper River salmon caught for three
seafood processors: Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Trident Seafoods and
Copper River Seafoods. The extra Copper River salmon flights will
depart Cordova, Alaska, and arrive
in Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska, where the fish will be
shipped throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the United States today and through the
weekend.
"Alaska Air Cargo is proud to deliver the largest catch of wild
Copper River salmon from our namesake state to the masses here in
Seattle and across the country,"
said Betsy Bacon, Alaska Air Cargo
managing director. "As the salmon season gets into full swing, our
team is prepared to continue to bring fresh Alaska salmon to restaurants and consumers in
the Lower 48 and points beyond."
Alaska plays a significant role
in supporting the Alaska seafood
industry, which is recognized worldwide for its sustainable fishing
practices. The carrier flew nearly 25 million pounds of fresh
Alaska seafood to the Lower 48
states and beyond last year, including nearly 1.2 million pounds of
Copper River salmon.
Chefs compete in sixth annual Copper Chef Cook-off
Following the arrival, a 53-pound king salmon will become the
catch of the day for three top Seattle chefs competing for the best salmon
recipe in Alaska Air Cargo's sixth annual "Copper Chef Cook-off."
Executive chef and last year's Copper Chef winner John Howie, of Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar,
will compete against executive chefs Eric
Tanaka of TanakaSan and Ethan
Stowell of Staple & Fancy and Tavolata. In an "Iron
Chef" type competition, the three culinary craftsmen will have 30
minutes to prepare and serve the freshly caught salmon to a panel
of four judges including Seattle Seahawks' first and legendary
quarterback Jim Zorn; Seattle
Mariners Hall of Famer Jay Buhner;
Seattle Storm President and General Manager Alisha Valavanis; and Alaska Air Cargo's
Managing Director Betsy Bacon.
The airline will announce the winning Copper River salmon recipe
on its Twitter account @AlaskaAir. Salmon lovers are encouraged to
share their favorite ways to eat Copper River salmon using the
hashtag #CopperRiverSalmon. Download the chefs' recipes at
http://bit.ly/CRRecipes and follow the Copper River salmon along
its journey from Cordova to the
Lower 48 on Alaska Airlines blog at
http://bit.ly/ASCopperRiver.
Note to media: High-resolution photographs of the Copper
River salmon and Alaska Air Cargo's "Copper Chef Cook-off" will be
posted to Alaska Airlines' blog at http://bit.ly/ASCopperRiver by
10 a.m. Pacific time, May 15, 2015.
Alaska Airlines transports more than 109 million pounds of cargo
annually—including seafood, mail and freight —and operates the most
extensive air cargo operation on the U.S. West Coast of any
passenger airline.
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK),
together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100
cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in
Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North
American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight consecutive years
from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards
Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline Loyalty/Rewards
Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit
www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska
Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines