The Russian invasion of Ukraine could impact commercial aviation in many ways, including a possible commercial resurgence of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska. Back in the Cold War days, Anchorage was the air crossroads of the world. Could it become again? Let’s investigate further.

The crossroads of the world

In the eighties, Anchorage International Airport was the crossroads of the world, as it allowed long-haul flights between Europe and Asia to be viable. Since the Soviet Union had its airspace closed, carriers used Alaska as a stopover point to connect faraway destinations.

It didn’t matter that Alaska was so far off the beaten track, as Jeff Berliner wrote in 1988, Anchorage became a convenient midway stop for flights using an over-the-Pole route between major cities in Europe and Asia. At some point, Anchorage rivaled Chicago and Los Angeles in terms of commercial air traffic.

Nonetheless, as the Soviet Union entered a period known as glasnost, which can be interpreted as openness, Anchorage’s importance diminished. The Soviet Union opened its airspace, newer aircraft had a more extended range, and Alaska’s main airport had to find a new way to survive.

Anchorage’s new life

Anchorage is located, at most, at nine and a half hours away from most developed cities worldwide. Therefore, Anchorage remains one of the world’s most important airports even today. Cargo is Anchorage’s main service right now.

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In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anchorage had services from 47 air carriers (27 domestic and 18 international); the airport only had 21 passenger destinations but 44 cargo destinations.

A year later, Anchorage was the world’s fourth-largest airport in the world in terms of cargo, behind Memphis, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Due to the pandemic, it had the largest percentage increase, in terms of metric tonnes, among the top 10 cargo airports in the world, according to ACI.

While losing the passenger appeal, Anchorage has remained relevant in the last few decades. Many could argue Ted Stevens International has never been more important than now. It allows the transportation of heavily needed goods across the world. But, could some of that old Cold War glory be on its way back?

Anchorage’s future?

This week has been a turning point in the world’s history. Russia invaded Ukraine. The impacts of Putin’s latest move on the geopolitical sphere are still unpredictable but will undoubtedly affect the world’s economy, including the aviation sector.

Three countries have banned Russian-registered airlines and aircraft in the last two days alone. These countries are the UK, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The European Union is looking at banning aircraft and parts sales to Russian airlines.

Russia has retaliated and blocked British airlines from using its airspace. According to Flightradar24.com, British Airways flight BA142 between London and Delhi had to reroute to avoid Russian airspace; the new route is 896 kilometers longer and added 45 minutes of flying time.

Alaska’s Anchorage Airport has started to receive inquiries from airlines about capacity and available services, reported Reuters. The airlines are looking at options in the event international route are impacted during the Ukraine crisis.

Do you think Anchorage International Airport could have a second stint as the world’s crossroad? Let us know in the comments below.