'The toughest people on Earth'

On Saturday night in downtown Anchorage, the "new" Ryan Air honored some of the great Alaskans that built the state and its air cargo industry.

(Arctic Transportation Services, the event's organizer, announced Saturday night that the company was returning to its previous name, Ryan Air.)

A total of 11 Alaskan pioneers were honored, including several of the state's original bush pilots.

Click here to read about pilots like Neal "Willie" Foster and Holger "Jorgy" Jorgensen.

Wilfred "Boyuck" Ryan Jr., the president of Ryan Air, spoke about the name change and its meaning.

"We have operated for just over ten years as Arctic Transportation Services, but for more than four decades we ran the business under our family name, Ryan," he said. "We are still a family business and tonight we are reclaiming our heritage."