Travel· 7 min read
Cold Bay Airport — CDB to airlines, PACD to pilots — is the reason this town exists as a modern hub. Built in 1942 as Fort Randall's airfield to stage B-24 Liberators against Japanese-held Attu and Kiska, the main runway is 10,180 feet long and 150 feet wide, making it the fifth-longest civilian runway in Alaska and one of only three designated Space Shuttle emergency landing sites in the state.
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The runway
10,180 × 150 feet, asphalt, ILS-equipped. The runway routinely handles 737s, C-130s, and — historically — DC-6 freighters. Weather is the constraint, not pavement: crosswinds, low ceilings, and horizontal rain define the operational picture, not aircraft size.
- ◆ICAO: PACD · IATA: CDB
- ◆Runway 14/32: 10,180 ft asphalt with ILS
- ◆Alternates: Dutch Harbor (DUT), King Salmon (AKN)
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Who flies here
Alaska Airlines operates scheduled 737 service from Anchorage several times a week, often as a combi with cargo forward and passengers aft. Ravn / smaller carriers connect to King Cove, Sand Point, False Pass, and Nelson Lagoon in Grand Caravans. Charter operators fly floatplanes and wheel planes for hunts and remote lodges.
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The terminal and ground side
A single small terminal, a handful of rental vehicles (book weeks ahead), and no TSA line most of the time. Weight limits on Anchorage flights are strict — bird hunters flying with dogs, crates, and shotguns should confirm baggage rules and firearm procedures before travel.
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Weather delays are the norm
Fog, wind, and icing routinely delay or cancel flights, sometimes for days. Any Cold Bay itinerary needs at least one buffer day on each end. Airlines do not owe you a hotel for weather — build slack into your plan and bring a book.
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