Kotzebue’s Ralph Wien Memorial Airport is a regional hub that serves eleven area communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough as well the Red Dog Mine. The airport is the principal means of transporting people to these communities, and plays a significant role in the transportation of mail and cargo to Kotzebue and the outlying communities.

The Kotzebue Airport as it is today does not meet current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. The airport has two runways, a primary runway and a crosswind runway. The paved primary runway is 800 to 1,600 feet short of meeting FAA requirements for serving Boeing 737-200 aircraft, and the safety area is an additional 1,700 feet short. So, the DOT&PF looked at the feasibility of relocating the airport or making major upgrades to the existing airport to both improve safety and to bring it up to current FAA standards.

The project team recognized the value of local knowledge and kept the public engaged in this study by having one-on-one conversations, holding public meetings, seeking input through questionnaires, and exploring issues in depth with a Citizen’s Advisory Committee. Detailed responses to the questionnaires can be found on the Public Involvement page.