Owais Crawford
Alaska has the most airports per capita in the United States, with roughly 1 out of every 50 Americans in the state. This is due to the small population, large area, and wilderness of the state, which means that many towns are only accessible by airplane. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Alaska's largest airport and is located 5-8 miles from downtown Anchorage. It is a major cargo hub, ranking as the second busiest cargo airport in the US and the fourth busiest in the world. Fairbanks and Juneau International Airports are the next busiest airports in Alaska.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of airports | Alaska has the most airports per capita in the US, serving roughly 1 out of every 50 people |
| Airport types | Public-use, military, private-use, former, commercial, and cargo |
| Accessibility | Many towns in Alaska are only accessible by airplane or ship, so virtually every town has an airport |
| Hub types | Large, medium, small, non-hub, commercial service-nonprimary, reliever, and general aviation |
| Airport examples | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (includes Lake Hood Seaplane Base), Fairbanks International Airport, Juneau International Airport |
| Airport locations | Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau |
| Distance from cities | Fairbanks International Airport is 9 km from the city downtown, Juneau International Airport is 12.5 km from Juneau city |
| Transport options | Public bus, car rentals, taxis |
| Airlines | Alaska Airlines, PenAir, RavnAir, EvertsAir, Warbelow's Air Ventures, United, Delta |
| Destinations | Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, Europe |
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What You'll Learn
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
The airport is a major cargo hub and was ranked as the second busiest cargo airport in the US and the world's fourth busiest in 2023. Cargo airlines travelling between Asia and the contiguous US often choose to refuel in Anchorage to carry more cargo and less fuel. FedEx Express and UPS Airlines operate major cargo hubs at the airport, while NWA Cargo operated a major hub until 2009. FedEx Express is the airport's largest cargo operator and can handle 13,400 packages per hour.
The airport covers an area of 4,608 acres (1,865 ha) and has three runways. It is categorised as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Built in 1951, the airport was served in the 1950s by Alaska Airlines, Northwest Orient, Pacific Northern Airlines, and Reeve Aleutian Airways. It was also a refuelling stop for Canadian Pacific Air Lines service to the Far East.
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Fairbanks International Airport
The airport has a rich history, with commercial operations beginning in 1951. It has been utilised by various airlines over the years, including Alaska Airlines, Pan American World Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air. In 1974, Pan Am transferred its Fairbanks-Seattle service to Western Airlines. Other notable incidents include a cargo flight crash in 1975 and a mechanical power loss during takeoff in 1994.
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Juneau International Airport
During World War II, the airport, then known as Juneau Airport, was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a transport link between combat bases in the Aleutians and airfields in mainland North America. The jet age arrived in Juneau in the early 1960s, with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) operating daily Douglas DC-4 propliner services to Seattle via Annette Island Airport, which also served Ketchikan. By 1965, Pacific Northern was operating nonstop flights to Seattle, Anchorage, and Annette Island using Boeing 720 jets.
By 1968, Western Airlines, which had acquired Pacific Northern in 1967, was operating daily nonstop Boeing 720B jet service to Seattle, Anchorage, and Annette Island, with one-stop direct service to Los Angeles. In 1969, Alaska Airlines began operating daily jet service to the airport, serving a round trip that included Seattle, Sitka, Juneau, Yakutat, Cordova, Anchorage, Unalakleet, Nome, and Kotzebue. Alaska Airlines has served Juneau for over 45 years, primarily operating Boeing 727-100, 727-200, and 737-200 jetliners into the airport.
In 1977, Wien began flying the Boeing 737-200 jet service twice a week from the airport on a Juneau-Whitehorse-Fairbanks-Anchorage route. By 1979, the airline was operating daily nonstop flights to Seattle and Anchorage. Delta Air Lines, which served Juneau with daily nonstop flights to Seattle and direct, one-stop service to Los Angeles in the early 1990s, returned to the airport in 2014 with seasonal service.
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Anchorage Airport's history
Anchorage, Alaska, is within 10 hours by air of nearly 90% of the inhabited global north. This is because Anchorage is almost equidistant from New York City, Tokyo, and Murmansk, Russia (straight over the North Pole). Anchorage's airport has therefore played a crucial role in the aviation industry.
The history of Anchorage's airports began in 1929, when a site east of the town was cleared to build an airport. This became Merrill Field, which served as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s. Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army's Fort Richardson were also constructed in the 1940s and served as the city's primary economic engine. However, in 1951, Merrill Field was superseded by Anchorage International Airport (now Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport), which was built 5 miles southwest of downtown Anchorage. The airport was served in the 1950s by Alaska Airlines, Northwest Orient, Pacific Northern Airlines, and Reeve Aleutian Airways, and was also a refuelling stop for Canadian Pacific Air Lines service to the Far East.
In 1957, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) began a transpolar flight from Copenhagen to Tokyo via Anchorage. By the mid-1980s, Anchorage Airport was nicknamed the "Crossroads of the World". This was because Anchorage was a common stopover for passengers flying between Europe and East Asia. Carriers using Anchorage for this purpose included Air France, British Airways, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Sabena, Swissair, and Spantax. However, with the introduction of the Boeing 747-400 and the opening of Soviet airspace towards the end of the Cold War, most airlines began to bypass Anchorage for nonstop flights over Siberia. As a result, most scheduled passenger service from Anchorage to Europe and Asia ceased in the early 1990s.
In 1998, Alaska Airlines pulled out of services from Anchorage to several destinations in the Russian Far East due to insufficient demand. However, in 2000, the airport was renamed to honour then long-standing US Senator Ted Stevens, who had survived a crash at the airport in 1978. In 2018, plans were announced to connect Anchorage and Harbin Taiping International Airport with year-round, nonstop flights. In 2019, American Airlines switched the Boeing 737-800 on their seasonal route to Phoenix with the Airbus A321neo, making them the first airline to use the A321neo at Anchorage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was briefly the busiest in the US due to the sustained volume of cargo flights through Alaska.
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Alaska's primary ports of entry
Alaska has numerous airports, with virtually every town in the state having one, owing to many towns being accessible only by airplane or ship. The state's primary aviation hub is Fairbanks, which acts as the gateway to northern Alaska, Denali National Park, and beyond. The city has two airports, which benefit from distinct weather patterns, ensuring that one of them always remains open.
The Alaska International Airport System was established in 1961 and has been operating as a state-owned enterprise fund under the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
When it comes to maritime ports of entry, Alaska has over 40 harbours. The Port of Alaska (also known as the Don Young Port of Alaska) in Anchorage is the busiest port in the state. It is located at the mouth of the Cook Inlet, which leads to the Pacific Ocean. It is a multi-purpose port, handling containers, liquid bulk, general cargo, and cruise ships. In 2020, it handled approximately 4.7 million tonnes of cargo. The port is also a commercial centre with a diverse economy based on natural resources, tourism, and defence.
Cordova is another major port in Alaska, located on the southern coast of the state, on Prince William Sound near the Orca Inlet. It is one of the biggest single-basin ports in Alaska and has three docks that can handle general cargo, RORO, petroleum goods, and containers. The local economy relies heavily on fishing and the canning industry, particularly salmon processing.
Valdez is the northernmost ice-free port on the North American continent, attracting tourists for its snow-clad mountains, ice fishing, whale watching, and heli-skiing. It is connected to the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, with oil tankers carrying crude oil passing through Prince William Sound daily.
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Frequently asked questions
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the largest and most heavily trafficked airport in Alaska.
Fairbanks International Airport and Juneau International Airport are the next busiest airports in Alaska. Fairbanks acts as the primary hub for Northern Alaska.
The majority of Alaska is inaccessible by road, so airplanes are essential for travel throughout the state. However, many coastal villages are accessible by ship.
Carriers including Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Ravn Alaska, Grant Aviation, Aleutian Airways, Sun Country, and United Airlines all fly to Alaska.
