Exploring Alaska's Airport Cities: Unveiling The Aerial Hubs

Alaska is the largest state in the US but has a small population. Due to its size and wilderness, many towns are only accessible by airplane. As a result, Alaska has the most airports per capita in the country. Anchorage, the state's largest city, is home to the largest and busiest airport in Alaska, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Fairbanks, the second-largest city, is a transportation hub in the Interior region, with the Fairbanks International Airport offering flights to destinations worldwide. Other cities with airports in Alaska include Juneau, Ketchikan, Circle, Bethel, Livengood, Platinum, Takotna, and Valdez.

Anchorage, the state's largest city, has its airport as the largest and most heavily trafficked in Alaska

Due to its large area and small population, much of Alaska is uninhabited and undeveloped. As a result, many towns in Alaska are only accessible by airplane, and virtually every town in the state has an airport.

Anchorage is Alaska's largest city, and its airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, is the largest and most heavily trafficked airport in the state. The airport is located 5 miles (8 km) southwest of downtown Anchorage and is named after Ted Stevens, a senator from Alaska who served from 1968 to 2009. The airport is a significant cargo hub, ranking as the second busiest cargo airport in the US and the fourth busiest in the world in 2023. It is also a popular airport for passenger travel, with around five million passengers passing through between 1998 and 2008. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport even became the busiest in the United States for a brief period due to the volume of cargo flights through Alaska.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is served by many major US passenger carriers, with Alaska Airlines providing the majority of passenger flight operations to and from Seattle and Fairbanks. The airport has also historically been a refuelling stop for flights between Asia and the contiguous US, as well as for flights to the Russian Far East. In 2018, plans were announced for year-round, non-stop flights between Anchorage and Harbin Taiping International Airport in China.

The airport was built in 1951 and has been through several notable events since then. In 1951, a Canadian Pacific Air Lines aircraft that was using the airport as a refuelling stop disappeared. In 1978, Senator Ted Stevens survived a crash at the airport that sadly killed his wife, Ann. More recently, in 2018, the airport suffered minor damage and was temporarily closed following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, has an international airport that serves as the chief transportation hub for the Interior region

Due to its large area and small population, much of Alaska is uninhabited and undeveloped. This means that many towns are only accessible by airplane, and virtually every town in Alaska has an airport. This gives Alaska the highest number of airports per capita in the United States.

Fairbanks is Alaska's second-largest city and is served by Fairbanks International Airport, located three miles southwest of the city's central business district. The airport covers 3,470 acres of land and has four runways. It is a state-owned, public-use airport. Fairbanks International Airport is the chief transportation hub for the Interior region of Alaska, with flights to destinations worldwide.

The airport opened in 1951 and took over existing scheduled airline traffic to Fairbanks, which had previously used Ladd Army Airfield. Alaska Airlines used Fairbanks as its main hub in the 1950s, with service to Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, Nome, and other destinations. In the mid-1970s, following the development of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Alaska Airlines and Braniff International offered a joint service between Fairbanks and Houston via Anchorage, Seattle, and Dallas.

Pan American World Airways served Fairbanks from 1932 until 1965, when the Civil Aeronautics Board terminated its rights to serve Alaska. However, in 1969, Pan Am resumed service to Fairbanks, using it as a stopover for transpacific flights from New York and Seattle to Tokyo. In 1974, Pan Am transferred its Fairbanks-Seattle service to Western Airlines. Other carriers, such as Japan Airlines and Korean Air, have also used Fairbanks as a technical stop for transpacific cargo flights.

Juneau, the capital city, has an international airport and is only accessible by air

Due to its vast size, sparse population, and rugged terrain, Alaska presents unique transportation challenges. Many towns in this state are not connected by roads and are only accessible by airplane or ship. As a result, Alaska has the highest number of airports per capita in the United States.

Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, is one such place that is not accessible by road. Located in the Inside Passage, a coastal region in Southeast Alaska, Juneau can only be reached by air or sea. The Juneau International Airport serves as the primary gateway to this region, offering stunning aerial views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers, and waterways.

Juneau International Airport is a busy hub, second only to Anchorage in terms of passenger traffic. It handles a significant volume of both cargo and passenger flights, connecting Southeast Alaska with the rest of the world. The airport is served by several airlines, including those offering flights to and from destinations worldwide.

The airport plays a vital role in facilitating travel to and from Juneau. It is the main entry point for visitors, and its accessibility by air is crucial due to the lack of road access. The airport not only serves those arriving or departing from Juneau but also provides essential connections for the surrounding coastal communities within the Inside Passage region.

Juneau's airport is an integral part of the city's infrastructure and a lifeline for the local community. It enables the movement of people and goods, supporting the local economy and fostering connections with the rest of Alaska and beyond. Its existence is a testament to the unique transportation needs of Alaska and the innovative solutions required to navigate its vast and rugged landscape.

Ketchikan International Airport is located on Gravina Island and is accessible via a ferry ride from the main city

Alaska's unique geography and landscape mean that many of its towns are inaccessible by road and can only be reached by plane (or, in some cases, by ship). As a result, almost every town in Alaska has an airport. The state's primary ports of entry are Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, but there are several other airports across the state.

One of these is Ketchikan International Airport, which is located on Gravina Island and is accessible from the main city of Ketchikan via a short ferry ride. The airport is owned by the State of Alaska and operated by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, and it is the fifth busiest airport in the state. It was opened in 1973, with planning for the facility beginning in 1967 when local authorities examined three sites for an airport to serve the city. In August 1967, the site on Gravina Island was chosen, and construction began in April 1969, with the terminal approved in 1972.

The ferry to and from the airport operates from 6:15 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., with ferries leaving the airport on the hour and the half-hour. The Ketchikan Marine Industry Council notes that the airport does not have any direct road links to the city of Ketchikan, so the ferry is necessary to cross the small body of water that separates the airport and the city.

In the past, a structure linking the airport and the city, known as the Gravina Island Bridge, was proposed, but these plans were scrapped in 2007 due to criticism and the bridge being dubbed a 'bridge to nowhere'. Despite this, the airport continues to thrive without a direct road connection, with recent growth in passenger numbers.

Dillingham Airport is a state-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles west of the central business district of Dillingham

Due to its large area and small population, much of Alaska is uninhabited and undeveloped. This means that many towns are only accessible by airplane, and virtually every town in Alaska has an airport. Alaska has the most airports per capita in the United States.

Dillingham Airport is a state-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) west of the central business district of Dillingham, a city in the Dillingham Census Area of Alaska. The airport is situated at the northern end of Nushagak Bay in northern Bristol Bay, at the confluence of the Wood and Nushagak Rivers. It serves as a regional hub for nine surrounding communities, providing essential air services to the City of Dillingham and the greater Bristol Bay region, covering over 46,700 square miles. Dillingham Airport is crucial for the region as it is the only means of access to medical care and other goods and services for at least 18 surrounding communities.

The airport covers an area of 620 acres (251 ha) and has an elevation of 81 feet (25 m) above mean sea level. It features a single runway designated 1/19, constructed with an asphalt surface measuring 6,400 by 150 feet (1,951 x 46 m). Dillingham Airport is categorized as a primary commercial service airport, with more than 10,000 enplanements per year. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport handled 32,215 passenger boardings in 2008, 29,374 in 2009, and 42,927 in 2010, exceeding the threshold for its category.

It is worth noting that there is another Dillingham Airfield, located in Honolulu County, Hawaii. This airfield is a public and military-use airport situated two nautical miles west of the central business district of Mokulēʻia on the North Shore of Oʻahu. It is primarily used for gliding and skydiving operations and is included in the Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems.

Frequently asked questions