Ketchikan International Airport
Encyclopedia
Ketchikan International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport
located one nautical mile (2 km) west of the central business district
of Ketchikan
, a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
.
The airport is located on Gravina Island
, just west of Ketchikan on the other side of the Tongass Narrows. Passengers must take a seven-minute ferry ride across the water to get to the airport from the town.
of 88 feet (27 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 11/29 with 7,500 x 150 ft (2,286 x 46 m) asphalt
pavement. It also has a seaplane landing area designated NWW/SEW which measures 9,500 x 1,500 ft (2,896 x 457 m).
For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2006, the airport had 16,208 aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day: 60% air taxi
,
33% scheduled commercial
, 6% general aviation
and 1% military
. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport: 77% single-engine
, 8% multi-engine and 15% helicopter
.
In 2004, a new taxiway "Bravo" was added to facilitate taxiing to the end of the frequently used runway 11 (the runway is located about 30 feet (9.1 m) higher than the apron further up the hillside, requiring long, gently sloped taxiways to either end). Before that taxiway, some smaller planes were allowed to use taxiway "Alpha" to take off and land because it was not worthwhile to backtaxi on the actual runway. In addition this allows the airport's system of taxiways to be used by more than one plane at once. More recently the airport is applying to construct another runway on a different heading which is better suited to handle the infamous crosswinds, sometimes up to 90 knots (176.4 km/h). These winds have been known to blow approaching planes out across Tongass Narrows in certain conditions.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located one nautical mile (2 km) west of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
, a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,070 people, 5,399 households, and 3,633 families residing in the borough. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
The airport is located on Gravina Island
Gravina Island
Gravina Island is an island in the Gravina Islands of the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska. It is long and about wide, with a land area of . The island had a population of 50 people at the 2000 census....
, just west of Ketchikan on the other side of the Tongass Narrows. Passengers must take a seven-minute ferry ride across the water to get to the airport from the town.
History
Around the World War II era, air service to Ketchikan was possible using an old military airfield on Annette Island. Aircraft used in that era included the Grumman Goose and Catalina PBY. The current airport was opened on August 4, 1973 and dedicated the following day. The airport opening was the culmination of an effort by local residents, a 1965 study by the Alaska State Division of Aviation, another study in 1967 choosing the current site on Gravina Island, and land clearing in 1969.Facilities and aircraft
Ketchikan International Airport covers an area of 2600 acres (1,052.2 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 88 feet (27 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 11/29 with 7,500 x 150 ft (2,286 x 46 m) asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
pavement. It also has a seaplane landing area designated NWW/SEW which measures 9,500 x 1,500 ft (2,896 x 457 m).
For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2006, the airport had 16,208 aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day: 60% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
,
33% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, 6% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and 1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport: 77% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 8% multi-engine and 15% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
In 2004, a new taxiway "Bravo" was added to facilitate taxiing to the end of the frequently used runway 11 (the runway is located about 30 feet (9.1 m) higher than the apron further up the hillside, requiring long, gently sloped taxiways to either end). Before that taxiway, some smaller planes were allowed to use taxiway "Alpha" to take off and land because it was not worthwhile to backtaxi on the actual runway. In addition this allows the airport's system of taxiways to be used by more than one plane at once. More recently the airport is applying to construct another runway on a different heading which is better suited to handle the infamous crosswinds, sometimes up to 90 knots (176.4 km/h). These winds have been known to blow approaching planes out across Tongass Narrows in certain conditions.
Proposed road access
There is no road access between Ketchikan and the airport. A bridge, sometimes referred to as the "bridge to nowhere", was proposed costing an estimated $398 million. After protracted attention to the high cost of the bridge, the U.S. federal government changed its original decision to fund the bridge in 2007. The money was transferred to the state of Alaska to determine the use of the funds.Scheduled passenger service
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Seattle, WASeattle-Tacoma International Airport The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5... |
61,000 | Alaska |
| 2 |  Juneau, AKJuneau International Airport Juneau International Airport is a public-use airport and seaplane base located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Juneau, a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska... |
16,000 | Alaska |
| 3 | Anchorage, AK Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport -Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:... |
13,000 | - |
| 4 | Sitka, AK Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport is a public airport owned and operated by the State of Alaska located on Japonski Island in southwestern Sitka, Alaska, U.S.... |
4,000 | Alaska |
| 5 | Wrangell, AK Wrangell Airport Wrangell Airport is a public airport located one mile northeast of the central business district of Wrangell, Alaska. The airport has a single runway. Airline service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.- Airline and destinations :... |
2,000 | Alaska |
| 6 | Petersburg, AK Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport is a public airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Petersburg, a city in the Petersburg Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport has a single runway. Airline service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service... |
2,000 | - |
| 7 | Craig, AK Craig Seaplane Base Craig Seaplane Base is located in Craig, a city in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska.As per Federal Aviation Administration records, this airport had 6,300 passenger boardings in calendar year 2007, an increase of 150% from the 2,517 enplanements in 2006.-... |
1,000 | Pacific, Taquan |
Charter and flightseeing
- Family Air Tours
- Misty Fjords Air
- Pacific Airways
- SeaWind Aviation
- Southeast Aviation
Accidents
- An Alaska AirlinesAlaska AirlinesAlaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
Boeing 727-100Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
overran the southern end of the runway on April 5, 1976. The aircraft was trying to land, but the braking seemed sluggish after the fast landing, so the pilot decided to perform a go around. The thrust reversers on the engines didn't fully disengage, so the engines did not rev up enough to allow a takeoff. The pilot aborted the takeoff and the aircraft overran the runway by 700 feet (213.4 m). One of the 50 passengers died. - An Aero Vodochody L-39MS crashed during approach on January 25, 2006. The aircraft attempted to land in blowing snow and poor visibility, but struck the water three times before regaining some altitude. Witnesses reported hearing the jet's engines stop, then watching it descend into a large lot. The pilot ejected just before the plane crashed into an occupied mobile home, but struck a tree while in his ejection seat.
External links
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough: Airport Page
- FAA Alaska airport diagram (GIFGIFThe Graphics Interchange Format is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability....
)
