Ruth Haines
Alaska is the largest state in the US and has a large number of airports relative to its population. This is because many towns in Alaska are inaccessible by road and can only be reached by plane. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the largest airport in Alaska, and it connects Alaska with the rest of the world. The airport is named after Ted Stevens, who served as a senator of Alaska from 1968 to 2009. Fairbanks International Airport and Juneau International Airport are the next busiest airports in the state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of airports | Virtually every town in Alaska has an airport. |
| Number of international airports | 4: Ted Stevens Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Ketchikan |
| Busiest airport | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport |
| Second busiest airport | Fairbanks International Airport |
| Third busiest airport | Juneau International Airport |
| Airport with the most passenger boardings in 2008 | Dillingham Airport (32,215) |
| State-owned, public-use airports | Aniak Airport, Gustavus Airport, Dillingham Airport |
| Airport hub type | L: Large, M: Medium, S: Small, N: Nonhub, CS: Commercial service – nonprimary, R: Reliever, GA: General aviation |
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What You'll Learn
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
The airport was built in 1951 and has been a significant hub for air travel and cargo transport in Alaska and the wider region. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, categorised as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport briefly became the busiest in the United States due to a sustained volume of cargo flights through Alaska, even as passenger travel declined sharply. In 2023, it ranked as the second busiest cargo airport in the US and the fourth busiest in the world. Cargo airlines travelling between Asia and the contiguous US often refuel in Anchorage, carrying less fuel and more cargo. FedEx Express and UPS Airlines operate major hubs at the airport, with FedEx being the largest cargo facility, capable of handling 13,400 packages per hour and employing over 1,200 people.
In recent years, the airport has seen several notable developments. In 2018, plans were announced for nonstop flights between Anchorage and Harbin Taiping International Airport in China. The same year, the airport suffered minor damage and temporarily closed due to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. In 2019, American Airlines introduced the Airbus A321neo on their seasonal route to Phoenix, making them the first airline to use this aircraft at Anchorage. In January 2023, Delta also adopted the A321neo for their route to Minneapolis-St. Additionally, the airport has applied for authority to serve as a connecting hub for international passengers, similar to the exemption granted to airports in Puerto Rico.
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Fairbanks International Airport
The airport opened in 1951, taking over airline traffic from the previous airport in the city, Ladd Army Airfield. Alaska Airlines used Fairbanks as its main hub in the 1950s, with flights to Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, Nome, and other destinations. In 1967, the airline shifted its hub to Anchorage, but the Anchorage-Fairbanks service continues.
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Juneau International Airport
Several airlines have served Juneau International Airport over the years. Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was one of the first major airlines to do so, operating daily Douglas DC-4 propliner services to Seattle in 1947. During the early 1960s, the jet age arrived in Juneau, with Pacific Northern Airlines operating Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation propliners with daily service to Seattle. By 1965, Pacific Northern was operating nonstop flights to Seattle, Anchorage, and Annette Island using Boeing 720 jets.
In the late 1970s, Wien offered Boeing 737-200 jet service twice a week from the airport on a Juneau-Whitehorse-Fairbanks-Anchorage route. By 1979, they were operating daily nonstop flights to Seattle and Anchorage. Western operated daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service to Seattle during the early and mid-1980s. After merging with Western in 1987, Delta Air Lines continued to serve Juneau with daily nonstop flights to Seattle and direct, one-stop service to Los Angeles into the early 1990s. In 1995, MarkAir operated daily nonstop Boeing 737-400 jet service to Seattle and Anchorage.
More recently, in 2014, Delta Air Lines returned to Juneau, initially offering seasonal service before expanding to year-round operations. Alaska Airlines has served Juneau for over 45 years, primarily operating Boeing 727 and 737 jetliners. They offer a Boeing 737-700 jet freighter cargo flight service into Juneau. Unfortunately, there was an accident involving an Alaska Airlines flight approaching Juneau International Airport in 1971, resulting in the deaths of all 111 passengers and crew on board.
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Ketchikan International Airport
The airport is located on Gravina Island, just west of Ketchikan, and is accessible via a ferry that crosses the Tongass Narrows. This ferry operates from 6:15 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and offers a seven-minute ride to passengers travelling between the airport and the city. Ketchikan International Airport is unique in that it has no direct road access to the outside world or to the airport itself. Passengers must rely on the ferry service or arrive by seaplane, utilising the water runway designated WNW/ESE.
The airport has an interesting history, with its development being the result of a collaborative effort by local residents, studies by the Alaska State Division of Aviation, and site selection in 1967. The current airport opened its doors on August 4, 1973, and was dedicated the following day. Alaska Airlines was one of the first airlines to serve the airport, inaugurating jet service from Seattle to Ketchikan using a Boeing 720 jetliner. Over the years, other airlines such as Wien Air Alaska, MarkAir, and Western Airlines have also operated jet services into the airport, utilising Boeing 737 and 727 jetliners.
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Gustavus Airport
Alaska is the largest state in the US but has a small population. Nevertheless, Alaska's airports receive a number of visitors annually from all over the world. Due to the small population combined with the large area of the state, much of which is wilderness, most of Alaska is uninhabited and almost entirely undeveloped. This leads to many towns with no roads leading to them, which are only accessible by plane. Because of this, virtually every town in Alaska has an airport, giving the state the most airports per capita in the country.
The airport had 11,828 passenger boardings (enplanements) in 2008, 8,822 in 2009, and 9,996 in 2010. It has been categorized as a non-primary commercial service airport and was included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2015-2019. For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2019, the airport had 5,750 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per week: 57% air taxi and 38% general aviation.
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Frequently asked questions
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Alaska's largest airport, located 5-6 miles from downtown Anchorage.
Fairbanks International Airport and Juneau International Airport are the next busiest airports in Alaska. Other major airports are located in the towns and cities of Circle, Bethal, Livengood, Platinum, Takotna, and Valdez.
The Alaska International Airport System (AIAS) was created by the Alaska State Legislature in 1961 and has operated as a state-owned enterprise fund under the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). The system's origins date back to 1948 when the U.S. Congress authorized the construction of ANC and FAI, with commercial operations commencing in 1951.
Alaska is the largest state in the USA but has a relatively small population. Due to the vast wilderness and remote towns, many communities are only accessible by airplane. As a result, Alaska has the most airports per capita in the country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was briefly the busiest airport in the United States due to its high volume of cargo flights.
