More than 140 employees to be laid off at Alaska airports

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The food service provider for the Anchorage and Fairbanks airports will lay off more than 140 employees because of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization said in a letter to Alaska officials.

The layoffs will comprise of 123 workers from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and 19 at Fairbanks International Airport, the food service provider, HMSHost, said in letters to state employment officials.

The layoffs at the Anchorage airport will affect businesses such as Starbucks, Cinnabon, Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse, Norton Sound Seafood House, Alaska Doghaus, Cream, Mezzanine Bar, Anchorage Marketplace and Local Alaskan Rustic Marketplace, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the travel and restaurant industries, and unfortunately, HMSHost sits at the intersection of both,” the letter said. “Never in the history of aviation and the hospitality industry have we experienced such catastrophic customer traffic declines.”

The Fairbanks layoffs will affect businesses such as The Local and Starbucks, HMSHost said.

The workers were originally furloughed in March. The layoffs are expected to be permanent on Oct. 15, HMSHost said.

The travel and service industries have been among the hardest hit as a result of the pandemic. Alaska Airlines recently announced it expected to permanently lay off 330 employees in Anchorage on Oct. 1 and nearly 1,600 in Washington state.