Bethel Airport (PABE), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
PABE, known as Bethel Airport, serves as a key aviation hub for southwestern Alaska, connecting the region's smaller communities through a towered field with three runways. The airport recorded 7,033 business aviation operations against a total of 12,917 operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, reflecting its role as a significant regional gateway despite its remote location roughly 451 nautical miles from the nearest metro area.
Runways
Bethel Airport has three paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 01L/19R, is 6,400 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Bethel Airport has Jet A, Jet A1, 100LL and 100 available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Bethel Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Nome (PAOM), 245 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Bethel Airport recorded 7,033 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at PABE concentrates in the summer months, with July and August showing the highest operation counts of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 890 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Bethel Airport averages 30.4 freeze days in January and 4.1 snow days in November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 63.6°F, and January the coldest, at 12.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Bethel Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, pavement strength and other notes.
When the control tower is closed, activate the high-intensity runway lights for runway 01L/19R, runway 01R/19L, and runway 12/30, plus taxiway lights, via CTAF. Activate the MALSR approach lighting for runway 01L and 19R, REIL for runway 01R and 19L, VASI for runway 01L and 19R, and PAPI for runway 01R and 19L, all via CTAF.
Condition reporting and other maintenance services are available during maintenance duty hours. After-hours service requires prior permission in writing from the airport manager.
Runway 12/30 is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 scheduled passenger-carrying operations with more than 9 passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying operations with more than 30 passenger seats. The western 1,200 feet is closed to aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight from April through November.
Runway 01R/19L is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 scheduled and non-scheduled passenger-carrying operations with more than 30 passenger seats.
The 495-foot section at the runway 30 end is paved with asphalt; the remaining surface is gravel.
Personnel and equipment working may be present on the runways.
PCR VALUE: 514/F/C/X/T
PCR VALUE: 361/F/C/X/T
Self-service fuel is not available. A fee applies for fuel service requested after 1800 local time.
Ptarmigan and waterfowl are present in the vicinity of the airport.
A weather camera is available online at https://weathercams.faa.gov.
Transient parking is located at the west end of the south ramp, marked by green cones.
A National Weather Service balloon launch facility is located on the airport; see the inside back cover for operational details.
Locked-wheel turns are not permitted on any surface.
The airport is subject to TSA regulations under 49 CFR 1542. Gates and doors are secured at all times. Unfamiliar transient operators should contact the airport manager.
The airport's sand is a smaller gradation than FAA recommendations specify; see AC 150/5200-30.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Alternates
Bethel Airport has five alternates within 82 NM. The nearest alternate is Quinhagak (PAQH), 61.45 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PABE
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at PABE.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What runways does PABE (Bethel Airport) offer for business aviation arrivals?
PABE, also known as Bethel Airport, has three runways available to operators. Runway 01L/19R is the primary paved surface at 6,400 feet long and 150 feet wide, asphalt construction. Runway 01R/19L is a shorter parallel asphalt strip at 4,000 by 75 feet. A third runway, 12/30, is a 1,858-foot gravel surface, with only its 495-foot 30-end paved in asphalt and the remainder gravel. Bethel is a towered airport, and pilots should confirm which runway suits their aircraft type given the surface and length differences.
Are there restrictions on which runway can be used at Bethel Airport for scheduled passenger operations?
Yes, Bethel Airport places specific limits on Part 121 and Part 380 passenger operations. Runway 01R/19L is not available for scheduled or non-scheduled passenger-carrying operations with more than 30 passenger seats. Runway 12/30 carries tighter limits, barring scheduled passenger operations above 9 seats and non-scheduled operations above 30 seats. Additionally, the western 1,200 feet of runway 12/30 is closed to aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight from April through November. Dispatchers planning larger aircraft into PABE should route those operations to runway 01L/19R.
What fuel is available at PABE and how is it accessed?
PABE, or Bethel Airport, stocks 100, 100LL, Jet A, and A1 fuel types, covering both piston and turbine aircraft. Self-service fuel is not available at this field. A fee applies for fuel service requested after 1800 local time, so operators arriving late in the day should plan for that added cost. The airport's attendance schedule varies seasonally, running later into the evening from May through October than during the November through April period. Confirming fuel service hours against arrival time is advisable given the after-hours fee structure.
Does Bethel Airport have customs clearance on site for international arrivals?
Bethel Airport does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is at PAOM, located approximately 245 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from outside the United States need to route their customs clearance through PAOM before or after operations at Bethel. This distance should factor into fuel and routing planning for any international itinerary touching PABE. No onsite customs alternative exists at this field, so advance coordination with the PAOM facility is necessary.
What is the seasonal traffic pattern like at PABE?
Bethel Airport, identified by the code PABE, sees business aviation traffic concentrated in certain months of the year according to FAA TFMSC data. Traffic figures show notable peaks in July and August, with 824 and 890 operations respectively, compared with lower volumes in months like February at 376 and December at 390. April also shows a secondary rise to 707 operations. This pattern suggests dispatchers should anticipate busier ramp and tower conditions during the summer months. Total annual business aviation operations for the airport reached 7,033 in 2025.