Juneau International Airport Explained

Juneau International Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:JNU
Icao:PAJN
Faa:JNU
Wmo:70381
Type:Public
Owner:City of Juneau
City-Served:Juneau, Alaska
Elevation-F:25
Elevation-M:8
Coordinates:58.355°N -134.5764°W
Image Mapsize:200
Image Map Caption:FAA airport diagram
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:9
Mapframe-Wikidata:yes
R1-Number:8/26
R1-Length-F:8,857
R1-Length-M:2,700
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:8W/26W
R2-Length-F:4,600
R2-Length-M:1,402
R2-Surface:Water
Stat-Year:2017
Stat1-Header:Aircraft operations
Stat1-Data:108,885
Stat2-Header:Based aircraft
Stat2-Data:275
Footnotes:Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Juneau International Airport 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, a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska which has no direct road access. The airport is a regional hub for all air travel, from bush carriers to major U.S. air carriers such as 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, the airport had 378,741 passenger boardings 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).

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.[5] Pan Am later operated Douglas DC-6B and Boeing 377 Stratocruiser aircraft into the airport.[6] During the 1950s, Pacific Northern Airlines (PNA, the successor of Woodley Airways) served the airport with Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation propliners with daily service to Seattle with a stop at Annette Island as well as nonstop to Anchorage and Yakutat and direct to Cordova in Alaska.[7]

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.[8] By 1965, Pacific Northern was operating Boeing 720 jets nonstop to Seattle, Anchorage and Annette Island.[9] In 1967, Pacific Northern was acquired by and merged into Western Airlines, which continued to operate jet service to the airport.[10] 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.[11] By 1969, Alaska Airlines was operating Boeing 727-100 jet service into the airport on a daily basis with a round trip route of Seattle - Sitka - Juneau - Yakutat - Cordova - Anchorage - Unalakleet - Nome - Kotzebue.[12] 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.[13] 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.[12] Alaska Airlines began serving Juneau during the late 1960s after its acquisition of two local air service carriers, Alaska Coastal Airlines, which was based in Juneau, and Cordova Airlines.

Other air carriers which 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.[14] In 1968, Wien was operating Fairchild F-27 turboprop flights into the airport three days a week on a route of Juneau - Whitehorse - Fairbanks.[15] By 1977, Wien was flying Boeing 737-200 jet service twice a week from the airport on a Juneau - Whitehorse - Fairbanks - Anchorage route and by 1979 the airline was operating daily nonstop 737-200 jet flights to Seattle and Anchorage.[16] [17] During the early and mid 1980s, Western was operating daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service to Seattle.[18] After 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.[19]

In 1995, MarkAir operated daily nonstop Boeing 737-400 jet service to Seattle and Anchorage.[20] 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.[21]

Facilities and aircraft

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 has one seaplane landing area designated 8W/26W, which measures 4,600 by 150 feet (1,402 x 46 m).

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 the time 275 aircraft were based at the airport: 87% single-engine, 1% multi-engine, <1% jet, 10% helicopter, and 1% military.

Airlines and destinations

Aside from providing passenger service, Alaska Airlines operates Boeing 737-700 jet freighter cargo flight service into Juneau.[22]

Cargo

AirlineDestinations
Alaska Air CargoAnchorage, Seattle/Tacoma
Anchorage, Ketchikan
Empire AirlinesAnchorage

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from JNU
(September 2022 – August 2023)
[23] ! Rank! City! Passengers! Carriers
1Seattle/Tacoma, Washington188,000Alaska, Delta
2Anchorage, Alaska81,000Alaska
3Sitka, Alaska25,000Alaska, Alaska Seaplanes, Harris
4Ketchikan, Alaska18,000Alaska
5Petersburg, Alaska10,000Alaska, Alaska Seaplanes
6Gustavus, Alaska9,000Alaska, Alaska Seaplanes, Harris
7Haines, Alaska7,000Alaska Seaplanes
8Hoonah, Alaska6,000Alaska Seaplanes
9Skagway, Alaska5,000Alaska Seaplanes
10Yakutat, Alaska4,000Alaska

Airline Market Share

Top airlines at JNU (September 2022 - August 2023)

! Rank! Airline! Passengers! Percent of market share

1Alaska Airlines632,00086.52%
2Kalinin Aviation56,0007.68%
3Delta Air Lines34,0004.70%
4Air Excursions8,0001.09%

Accidents and incidents

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. . Federal Aviation Administration. effective August 25, 2011.
  2. Web site: Appendix A: List of NPIAS Airports with 5-Year Forecast Activity and Development Estimate . National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) Report . Federal Aviation Administration . May 23, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160222040927/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/npias-2015-2019-report-appendix-a.pdf . February 22, 2016.
  3. Web site: Enplanements for CY 2008 . PDF, 1.0 MB . CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data . Federal Aviation Administration . December 18, 2009 .
  4. Web site: Enplanements for CY 2010 . PDF, 189 KB . CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data . Federal Aviation Administration . October 4, 2011 .
  5. http://www.timetableimages.com, Nov. 1, 1947 Pan American World Airways system timetable.
  6. Web site: Stories In The News - Ketchikan, Alaska . SitNews . 2022-04-14.
  7. http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 2, 1958 Pacific Northern Airlines system timetable
  8. http://www.timetableimages.com, Aug. 1, 1963 Pan American World Airways system timetable
  9. http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 1, 1965 Pacific Northern Airlines system timetable
  10. http://www.timetablemages.com{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Aug. 1, 1967 Pacific Northern Airlines (a division of Western Airlines) system timetable
  11. http://www.timetableimages.com, Aug. 1, 1968 Western Airlines system timetable
  12. http://www.timetableimages.com, Summer-Fall 1969 Alaska Airlines system timetable
  13. "Alaska Airlines" by Cliff & Nancy Hollenbeck, www.hollenbeckproductions.com
  14. http://www.departedflights.com, April 30, 1972 Western Airlines route map
  15. http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 16, 1968 Wien Air Alaska system timetable
  16. http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 15, 1977 Wien Air Alaska system timetable
  17. http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Seattle-Juneau & Anchorage-Juneau schedules
  18. http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1983 & Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG) editions, Seattle-Juneau schedules
  19. http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 15, 1989 & Oct. 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG) editions, Seattle-Juneau schedules
  20. http://www.departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Seattle-Juneau & Anchorage-Juneau schedules
  21. Web site: Delta to end year-round service in Juneau . Phu . Lisa . Juneau Empire . April 11, 2016 . JuneauEmpire.com . August 23, 2017.
  22. http://www.alaskaair.com/content/cargo-home, Freighter and Combi Schedule
  23. Web site: Juneau, AK: Juneau International (JNU) . . August 2023 . December 13, 2023 .
  24. News: Kiffer. Dave. September 7, 2011. 40 Years ago, 111 died in Alaska Airlines Crash Near Juneau. Stories in the News. Ketchikan. May 25, 2016.