History of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Timeline

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is the primary airport for Alaska, situated 5 miles southwest of downtown Anchorage. Named after Senator Ted Stevens, it's classified as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility by the FAA. ANC is a significant cargo hub, particularly for trans-Pacific traffic, and is consistently ranked among the world's busiest airports in terms of cargo volume.

1923: Ted Stevens Born

In 1923, Ted Stevens, for whom the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is named, was born. He later served as a senator of Alaska from 1968 to 2009.

1951: Airport Built

In 1951, the airport was built and served by Alaska Airlines, Northwest Orient, Pacific Northern Airlines, and Reeve Aleutian Airways, using aircraft ranging from Douglas DC-3s to Boeing 377s. It also served as a refueling stop for Canadian Pacific Air Lines service to the Far East.

1955: Runway Connection to Air Base

From 1955 to 2011, the eastern end of the airport's southernmost runway connected to the Kulis Air National Guard Base.

1968: Ted Stevens Becomes Senator

In 1968, Ted Stevens began his service as a senator of Alaska, a position he held until 2009. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is named after him.

1969: Concourse B Built

Concourses A and B were built in 1985 and 1969 respectively and renovated in 2009.

1969: Terminal Expansion

In 1969, the terminal underwent a major expansion, forming what is today Concourse B. Notable new features included a curved arrival/departure structure with an elevated departure ramp for vehicles.

1978: Ted Stevens Involved in Crash

In 1978, Ted Stevens survived a crash at the airport that killed his wife Ann.

1982: North Terminal Built

The North Terminal (international) was built in 1982.

1985: Concourse A Built

Concourses A and B were built in 1985 and 1969 respectively and renovated in 2009.

1988: Airline Flights Decrease

By 1988, 16 airline flights that had previously stopped in Anchorage instead flew nonstop over Siberia due to Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost opening Soviet airspace. This caused a decrease in revenue for the state.

1998: Passenger Traffic Around Five Million

Between 1998 and 2008, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport's passenger traffic hovered around the five million mark, apart from in 2002 when the airport suffered a 13% drop in traffic.

1998: Alaska Airlines Pulls Out of Russian Far East

In 1998, Alaska Airlines discontinued its services from Anchorage to several destinations in the Russian Far East due to insufficient demand.

2000: Airport Renamed

In 2000, the Alaska Legislature renamed the airport to honor then long-standing US Senator Ted Stevens.

2002: Traffic Drop

In 2002, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport suffered a 13% drop in passenger traffic.

2003: Rail Depot Opened

The rail depot for the Alaska Railroad opened in 2003 after funding was secured by United States Senator Ted Stevens, but commuter service never materialized.

2004: Concourse C Rebuilt

In 2004, Concourse C was completely rebuilt, designed by McCool Carlson Green Architects.

March 2005: Korean Air Service Reduction

Until March 2005, Korean Air served Anchorage three times a week on a yearly scheduled basis, after which the service was reduced to three times a week only for the summer season in 2006.

2006: Korean Air Summer Service

In 2006, Korean Air reduced its Anchorage service to three times a week, only for the summer season.

2006: Renovations Begin on A and B Concourses

In fall 2006, Renovations began on the A and B concourses in fall 2006. These renovations are designed to bring the older portions into compliance with current seismic, heating, ventilation, electrical and safety codes, and also include new baggage handling systems and renovations to the interior of the concourses.

2007: Traffic Comparison

In 2007, Fairbanks and Juneau were the next busiest airports though neither managed more than half a million passengers while Anchorage traffic peaked in June, July and August.

2008: Passenger Traffic Around Five Million

Between 1998 and 2008, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport's passenger traffic hovered around the five million mark, apart from in 2002 when the airport suffered a 13% drop in traffic.

2008: Weekly Flight to Russia

During the summer season of 2008, there was one weekly flight to Russia by Vladivostok Air.

2008: Passenger Boardings

In calendar year 2008, the airport had 2,599,313 passenger boardings (enplanements) as per Federal Aviation Administration records.

December 28, 2009: NWA Cargo Closes Operations

On December 28, 2009, NWA Cargo closed all operations for Northwest Cargo at all airports.

2009: Inter-Terminal Walkway Completed

A land-side inter-terminal walkway was completed in 2009, connecting the North and South terminals.

2009: Concourses A and B Renovated

Concourses A and B were built in 1985 and 1969 respectively and renovated in 2009.

2009: Ted Stevens Ends Senate Term

In 2009, Ted Stevens ended his term as a senator of Alaska, a position he had held since 1968. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is named in his honor.

2009: Seismic and Aesthetic Upgrades

In 2009, the South terminal received seismic and aesthetic upgrades.

2009: Passenger Boardings

In calendar year 2009, the airport had 2,282,666 enplanements according to FAA records.

2010: Ted Stevens Death

In 2010, Ted Stevens, the namesake of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, passed away. He had served as a senator of Alaska from 1968 to 2009.

2010: Passenger Boardings

In 2010, the airport had 2,342,310 enplanements according to FAA records.

2011: Runway Connection to Air Base Ends

From 1955 to 2011, the eastern end of the airport's southernmost runway connected to the Kulis Air National Guard Base, after which the connection was discontinued.

2011: China Airlines Reroutes Flights

Until 2011, China Airlines used Anchorage as an intermediate stop on its Taipei-New York route. In 2011, these flights were rerouted to stop in Osaka instead.

2012: Yakutia Airlines Resumes Service

In 2012, Yakutia Airlines resumed summer seasonal service to Russia.

2017: FAA National Plan Inclusion

In 2017, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021. The airport is categorized as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility.

October 2018: Flights to Harbin Announced

In October 2018, Alaska Governor Bill Walker and Heilongjiang Province Governor Wang Wentao announced plans to connect Anchorage and Harbin Taiping International Airport with year-round, nonstop flights as early as the summer of 2019.

November 30, 2018: Earthquake

On November 30, 2018, the airport suffered minor damage and was temporarily closed following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the area.

April 30, 2019: Aircraft Operations

For the 12 months ending April 30, 2019, the airport had 261,961 aircraft operations, an average of 718 per day.

June 2019: American Airlines Switches Aircraft

In June 2019, American Airlines switched the Boeing 737-800 on their seasonal route to Phoenix with the Airbus A321neo, making them the first airline to use the A321neo at Anchorage.

2019: Potential Flights to Harbin

2020: Application for Passenger Traffic Authority

In 2020, the airport applied for similar authority for passenger traffic, which would potentially allow foreign airlines to use Anchorage as a connecting hub for international passengers.

2020: Smithsonian Channel Miniseries

In late 2020, the airport was the focus of a Smithsonian Channel miniseries Ice Airport Alaska.

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2021: FAA National Plan Inclusion

In 2021, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021. The airport is categorized as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility.

2022: Flights Overfly Alaska

Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on airlines, commercial flights between Japan and Western Europe once again overfly Alaska in the eastbound direction. The range of aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777/787 allows nonstop flights.

January 2023: Delta Switched Aircraft

In January 2023, Delta replaced their Boeing 737-900 and 757-200 in favor of the Airbus A321neo for their route to Minneapolis-St. Paul.

2023: Cargo Ranking

In 2023, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport ranked as the second busiest cargo airport in the US and the world's fourth-busiest cargo airport.