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Juneau International Airport

Coordinates: 58°21′18″N 134°34′35″W / 58.35500°N 134.57639°W / 58.35500; -134.57639
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Juneau International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Juneau
ServesJuneau, Alaska
Hub forAlaska Seaplanes
Elevation AMSL25 ft / 8 m
Coordinates58°21′18″N 134°34′35″W / 58.35500°N 134.57639°W / 58.35500; -134.57639
WebsiteJuneau.org/airport
Map
JNU is located in Alaska
JNU
JNU
Location of airport in Alaska
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 8,857 2,700 Asphalt
8W/26W 4,600 1,402 Water
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft operations108,885
Based aircraft275

Juneau International Airport (IATA: JNU, ICAO: PAJN, FAA LID: JNU) is a city-owned, public-use airport and seaplane base located seven nautical miles (8 mi, 13 km) northwest of the central business district of Juneau,[1] a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska that has no direct road access to the outside world. The airport serves as a regional hub for all air travel, from bush carriers to a major U.S. air carrier, Alaska Airlines.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2015-2019 categorized it as a primary commercial service (nonhub) airport based on 353,048 enplanements (boardings) in 2012.[2] As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 378,741 passenger enplanements in calendar year 2008,[3] 337,038 in 2009, and 344,057 in 2010.[4]

History

During World War II, Juneau Airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a transport link between the combat bases being established in the Aleutians and airfields in the mainland United States. It was also used by Air Transport Command and facilitated the transport of Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union via Nome (Marks Army Airfield).[5]

Historical airline service

Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was one of the first major airlines to serve Juneau. In 1947, Pan Am was operating daily Douglas DC-4 propliner service to Seattle via a stop at the Annette Island Airport, which served Ketchikan at the time and also flew DC-4 service twice a week nonstop to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada with continuing, no change of plane service to Fairbanks, Galena and Nome in Alaska.[6] Pan Am later operated Douglas DC-6B and Boeing 377 Stratocruiser aircraft into the airport.[7] During the 1950s, Pacific Northern Airlines served the airport with Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation propliners with daily service to Seattle via a stop at Annette Island as well as nonstop to Anchorage and Yakutat and direct to Cordova in Alaska.[8]

The jet age arrived in Juneau during the early 1960s. In 1963, Pan Am was operating daily Boeing 707 jetliner flights to Seattle via a stop at Annette Island.[9] By 1965, Pacific Northern was operating Boeing 720 jets nonstop to Seattle, Anchorage and Annette Island.[10] In 1967, Pacific Northern was acquired by and merged into Western Airlines, which continued to operate jet service into the airport.[11] By 1968, Western was operating daily nonstop Boeing 720B jet service to Seattle, Anchorage and Annette Island with one stop direct service to Los Angeles.[12] By 1969, Alaska Airlines was operating Boeing 727-100 jet service into the airport on a daily basis with a round trip routing of Seattle - Sitka - Juneau - Yakutat - Cordova - Anchorage - Unalakleet - Nome - Kotzebue.[13] Alaska Air has served Juneau for over 45 years and primarily operated Boeing 727-100, 727-200 and 737-200 jetliners into the airport (including the Boeing 737-200 passenger/freight Combi aircraft) in addition to Boeing 720 jetliners before switching to later model Boeing 737 jets.[14] Besides operating jet service into Juneau, Alaska Airlines also flew smaller prop and turboprop aircraft from the airport in the past including the Convair 240, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and two versions of the Grumman Goose amphibian aircraft, being a piston powered model and a turboprop version with the latter being named the "Turbo-Goose" by the airline.[13] Alaska Airlines began serving Juneau during the late 1960s following its acquisition of two local air service carriers, Alaska Coastal Airlines, which was based in Juneau, and Cordova Airlines.

Closeup view of the airport's main terminal, including both older and newer control towers. Mendenhall Glacier is seen in the background.

Other air carriers that served Juneau over the years included Wien Air Alaska and MarkAir, which had both been based in Alaska. Western Airlines also returned to Juneau after ceasing service during the early 1970s.[15] In 1968, Wien was operating Fairchild F-27 turboprop flights into the airport three days a week on a routing of Juneau - Whitehorse - Fairbanks.[16] By 1977, Wien was flying Boeing 737-200 jet service twice a week from the airport on a routing of Juneau - Whitehorse - Fairbanks - Anchorage and by 1979 the airline was operating daily nonstop 737-200 jet flights to Seattle and Anchorage.[17][18] During the early and mid 1980s, Western was operating daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service to Seattle.[19] Following its acquisition of and merger with Western in 1987, Delta Air Lines continued to serve Juneau with daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 flights to Seattle and direct, one stop service to Los Angeles into the early 1990s.[20] In 1995, MarkAir operated daily nonstop Boeing 737-400 jet service to Seattle and Anchorage.[21] In 2014, Delta Air Lines returned to Juneau offering first seasonal, and then year round service before leaving the market again at the end of 2016 and now serves Juneau on a seasonal basis. Delta entering the market to compete with Alaska Air resulted in fares to Seattle being reduced almost by half.[22]

Facilities and aircraft

The main passenger terminal at Juneau International Airport

Juneau International Airport covers an area of 662 acres (268 ha) at an elevation of 25 feet (8 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 8,857 by 150 feet (2,700 x 46 m). It also has one seaplane landing area designated 8W/26W, which measures 4,600 by 150 feet (1,402 x 46 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2017, the airport had 108,885 aircraft operations, an average of 298 per day: 79% air taxi, 12% general aviation, 8% scheduled commercial, and <1% military. At that time 275 aircraft were based at this airport: 87% single-engine, 1% multi-engine, <1% jet, 10% helicopter, and 1% military.[1]

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxiing to the terminal at Juneau International Airport.

Airlines and destinations

Aside from providing passenger service, Alaska Airlines also operates Boeing 737-700 jet freighter cargo flight service into Juneau.[23]

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Alaska Airlines Anchorage, Cordova, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Seattle/Tacoma, Sitka, Wrangell, Yakutat
Seasonal: Gustavus
Alaska Seaplanes Angoon, Elfin Cove, Excursion Inlet, Gustavus, Haines, Hoonah, Kake, Pelican, Sitka, Skagway, Tenakee Springs, Whitehorse
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Seattle/Tacoma
Harris Air Gustavus, Sitka
Island Air Express Ketchikan, Klawock, Petersburg
Ward Air Charter: Chatham, Funter Bay
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400C being loaded with cargo at Juneau International Airport.

Cargo

Airline Destinations
Alaska Air Cargo Anchorage, Seattle/Tacoma
Alaska Central Express Anchorage, Ketchikan
Empire Airlines Anchorage

Statistics

Carrier shares for (Dec 2018 – Nov 2019)[24]
Carrier Passengers (enplaned + deplaned)
Alaska
617,000(85.22%)
Kalinin
66,820(9.22%)
Delta
25,350(3.50%)
Excursions
8,900(1.23%)
Harris
5,570(0.77%)
Other
38(0.05%)

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from JNU
(Dec 2018 – Nov 2019)[24]
Rank City Passengers Airline
1 Seattle/Tacoma, Washington 178,380 Alaska, Delta
2 Anchorage, Alaska 78,770 Alaska
3 Sitka, Alaska 25,630 Alaska, Alaska Seaplanes
4 Ketchikan, Alaska 17,320 Alaska
5 Petersburg, Alaska 11,630 Alaska
6 Haines, Alaska 9,160 Air Excursions, Alaska Seaplanes, Wings of Alaska
7 Gustavus, Alaska 8,980 Air Excursions, Alaska, Alaska Seaplanes, Wings of Alaska
8 Skagway, Alaska 7,530 Air Excursions, Alaska Seaplanes, Wings of Alaska
9 Hoonah, Alaska 7,420 Air Excursions, Alaska Seaplanes, Wings of Alaska
10 Yakutat, Alaska 4,080 Alaska

Location and controversy

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-400C at Juneau International Airport.

Because of the extreme geography of Southeastern Alaska, land flat enough for airport facilities is at a premium. One of these few areas is the current location of the airport: the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge, a vastly diverse and ecologically critical region rich with plant life, small mammals, birds, several species of salmon, even black bears and bald eagles. The original airstrip was built in the 1930s, and no environmental impact analysis was performed at that time. The area currently housing the terminal and runways had to be filled in and part of the Gastineau Channel had to be dredged before the airport, in its current incarnation, could be built.

The airport is the only way in and out of the city, with exception of the Alaska Marine Highway and cargo ships traversing the Inside Passage. In the past, concerns have been raised over the safety of the airport, which is comparatively quite small, with the amount of air traffic it receives. In addition to frequent arrivals and departures from hubs such as Anchorage and Seattle/Tacoma, the airport also has daily and/or weekly service to smaller regional communities, a floatplane runway/docking area, and a heliport. Three major construction projects are planned at the airport within the next few years. An airport terminal renovation project will be the first comprehensive upgrade to the passenger facilities in over twenty years and will provide for better flow through the passenger screening process. The airfield maintenance facilities project will provide much needed room for storage and servicing of snow removal equipment. The runway safety area project will extend the runway at both ends and improve taxiways to meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

Accidents and incidents

On September 4, 1971, Alaska Airlines Flight 1866, a Boeing 727-100, crashed into the easterly slope of a canyon in the Chilkat Range of the Tongass National Forest while on approach to Juneau International Airport. All 111 passengers and crew on board were killed. At the time it was the worst single airplane air disaster in United States history.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for JNU PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. effective August 25, 2011.
  2. ^ "Appendix A: List of NPIAS Airports with 5-Year Forecast Activity and Development Estimate" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) Report. Federal Aviation Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  3. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
  4. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  5. ^ Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
  6. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Nov. 1, 1947 Pan American World Airways system timetable.
  7. ^ http://www.sitnews.com
  8. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 2, 1958 Pacific Northern Airlines system timetable
  9. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Aug. 1, 1963 Pan American World Airways system timetable
  10. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 1, 1965 Pacific Northern Airlines system timetable
  11. ^ http://www.timetablemages.com[permanent dead link], Aug. 1, 1967 Pacific Northern Airlines (a division of Western Airlines) system timetable
  12. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Aug. 1, 1968 Western Airlines system timetable
  13. ^ a b http://www.timetableimages.com, Summer-Fall 1969 Alaska Airlines system timetable
  14. ^ "Alaska Airlines" by Cliff & Nancy Hollenbeck, www.hollenbeckproductions.com
  15. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 30, 1972 Western Airlines route map
  16. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 16, 1968 Wien Air Alaska system timetable
  17. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 15, 1977 Wien Air Alaska system timetable
  18. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Seattle-Juneau & Anchorage-Juneau schedules
  19. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1983 & Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG) editions, Seattle-Juneau schedules
  20. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 15, 1989 & Oct. 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG) editions, Seattle-Juneau schedules
  21. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Seattle-Juneau & Anchorage-Juneau schedules
  22. ^ Phu, Lisa (April 11, 2016). "Delta to end year-round service in Juneau". JuneauEmprie.com. Juneau Empire. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  23. ^ http://www.alaskaair.com/content/cargo-home, Freighter and Combi Schedule
  24. ^ a b "Juneau, AK: Juneau International (JNU)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. July 2011.
  25. ^ Kiffer, Dave (September 7, 2011). "40 Years ago, 111 died in Alaska Airlines Crash Near Juneau". Stories in the News. Ketchikan. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
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