Alaska Airlines issued a formal apology to the Juneau International Airport Board on Wednesday. The apology was for a May 5 letter sent by Alaska Airlines, in which the airline asked the airport manager to delay plans to expand the terminal.

Alaska Airlines' Mookie Patel, the company's airport affairs manager, personally apologized to the board. Patel said that his letter was rooted in "unprecedented" economic pressures on airlines due to the price of oil, which has remained above $100 a barrel since the writing of the letter.

In the letter, Patel suggests the board look at its budget review to find money to pay for energy cost increases, so as not to pass the cost on to tenants of the city-owned airport.

On Wednesday Patel claimed that Alaska Airlines would support plans to expand and update the airport.