 Alaska Airlines ' large charter business made it profitable , and the airline moved its base of operations to Paine Field , an airport north of Seattle . It kept a branch office in Anchorage , however . Despite its success , Alaska Airlines ' worldwide charter business was short @-@ lived . In 1949 , the CAB tightened its regulations and placed heavy fines on the airline and shut it down completely for safety violations . The airline was prohibited from operating worldwide charter flights , and president James Wooten left the company . Also in 1949 , Alaska Air began operating five Bell 47B helicopters in order to support oil exploration on the North Slope thus becoming the first airline in Alaska to operate rotary @-@ wing aircraft . 
