Definition
Eek Airport is a public-use airport owned by the State of Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) and serves the city of Eek in the Bethel Census Area of Alaska, United States.
Overview
Located one nautical mile (approximately 2 km) southeast of Eek’s central business district, the airport provides essential air transportation for the remote community. It operates without a control tower and is primarily utilized by regional commuter airlines, charter services, and air taxis that connect Eek with larger hubs such as Bethel and Anchorage. The airport’s infrastructure supports both passenger travel and the delivery of freight, medical evacuations, and other essential services critical to the local population.
Etymology/Origin
The airport’s name derives directly from the name of the city it serves—Eek, Alaska. The toponym “Eek” originates from the Yup'ik language, though the precise meaning of the word is not definitively recorded in publicly available sources.
Characteristics
- Identifiers: IATA code EEK; ICAO code PAEE.
- Ownership/Management: Owned by the Alaska DOT&PF, Central Region.
- Runway: One gravel‑surface runway designated 13/31, measuring 3,218 feet (981 m) in length and 75 feet (23 m) in width.
- Elevation: The airport sits at an elevation of 30 feet (9 m) above mean sea level.
- Facilities: The airfield includes a small terminal building with passenger waiting areas, a parking apron, and basic weather observation equipment. No refueling services are available on‑site; aircraft must arrange fuel at nearby larger airports.
- Operations: According to the latest available FAA data (as of 2023), the airport records an average of 2,600 aircraft operations per year, composed chiefly of air taxi flights (≈70 %), general aviation (≈20 %), and occasional military or public service missions.
- Passenger Enplanements: The Federal Aviation Administration’s Terminal Area Forecast reported approximately 1,200 passenger enplanements in the most recent reporting year.
- Accessibility: Ground access is primarily via local roads that may be snow‑covered or waterlogged seasonally, limiting year‑round vehicular access and reinforcing the airport’s role as a vital transportation link.
Related Topics
- Eek, Alaska: The city served by the airport, a predominantly Yup'ik community with a population of roughly 700 residents.
- Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities: The state agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of public airports across Alaska.
- List of airports in Alaska: A comprehensive catalog of public and private airfields within the state.
- Air transportation in rural Alaska: The broader system of small aircraft services that connect remote villages and settlements throughout the state.
- Gravel runway operations: Technical considerations and best practices for aircraft using unpaved runway surfaces, relevant to facilities like Eek Airport.