Only in Alaska.

• Author: Sullivan, Patty
• Position: Air transport in Alaska

Bethel's Hub

Bethel, with nothing but the wind between it and the Bering Sea, is busy for a tundra town of 5,200. As a hub for the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta's 56 villages, it's the fourth busiest airport in the state, said Norm Gommoll, a specialist in air traffic with the Federal Aviation Administration. Traffic flow is increasing. In fiscal year 1996, the number of landings and takeoffs was 115,153, while last fiscal year the number rose to 128,863. For the first six months of this year, the traffic numbers are about what they wee for the entire year back in 1987, some 90,962.

Bush Employment

Even airlines themselves are a business in the Bush. In many a village, where unemployment runs high, one of the most dependable job is working as an agent for the airline.

Flying Malls

Airports not only connect the state to its residents, but also connect those residents to essential goods. Heating oil stokes the village generator during winter's grip at 30 below zero. Today many villages fly fuel in small batches, rather than barge it in one expensive lump sum during the summer.

Many villages are without stores or restaurants, so residents hop in an air-taxi to get to the nearest town to pick up some fresh produce, or to eat out for a change. They also go for batteries and car parts. They go to the bank. They visit the only dentist around.

Large goods like a truck or a couch arrive on the airlines. Ocean-going barges bring goods in the summer usually at cheaper prices, but a customer may not want to wait through six months of snow for a snow machine.

Juneau Politics

The state capitol of Juneau, accessible on the Gastineau Channel only by air and sea, has often been criticized for its remoteness. When legislators had to return for a special session this spring it cost $50,000 to fly most of the 60 lawmakers back to...