Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport (PALU), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Cape Lisburne LRRS (PALU) is a USAF facility on Alaska's northwest coast, closed to public use and limited to official business. The single gravel runway sits at the base of a mountain, and the nearest customs airport of entry is PAOM, roughly 262 nm away.
Runways
Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport has one unpaved runway, 09/27, 4,800 ft long and 135 ft wide, with a gravel surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Fueling is available from 8am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Nome (PAOM), 262 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport recorded 205 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Cross-border traffic seen by the FAA at Cape Lisburne LRRS concentrates in the spring and summer months, peaking in August, with almost no activity in November.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 33 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Operating constraints
Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Caution: the runway sits at the base of a mountain, with the mountain sloping into the approach zone at both ends. The centerline is marked with dye in winter.
All operations require prior permission at all hours, requested a minimum of one hour before departure for the site. Contact Airport Operations to arrange.
This is a USAF facility. Civil aircraft need a landing permit obtained before PPR is issued and at least 30 days prior to the first landing; the permit must be carried on board. Violators are fined and reported to FAA FSDOs in accordance with 32 CFR 855 and USAF operating instructions. Contact the 11th Air Force facility manager for further information.
Closed to the public; official business only. Closed on weekends and federal holidays.
REIL are installed on runway 09 and 27, and PAPI on runway 09 and 27 operate continuously.
Caution: surface wind over 10 knots may produce severe turbulence. Bird nests are located in a cliff in the vicinity of the airport.
Establish radio contact as soon as possible before landing.
Passengers must coordinate before non-emergency travel to the site. Contact Airport Operations to arrange.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Cape Lisburne Lrrs Airport has one airfield within 36 NM. The closest is Point Hope (PAPO), 35.04 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PALU
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.
$600.00 catering order at PALU.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
The $75 minimum applies below $862.50.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is PALU open to civilian or public traffic?
Cape Lisburne LRRS (PALU) is closed to the public and restricted to official business only. The facility is also closed on weekends and federal holidays, so operations must be planned around those restrictions.
What kind of PPR is required to land at Cape Lisburne LRRS?
All operations at Cape Lisburne LRRS require prior permission, requested at least one hour before departure for the site. As a USAF facility, civil aircraft additionally need a landing permit obtained well before the PPR is issued, and that permit must be carried on board.
What runway is available at PALU?
PALU has one runway, 09/27, a gravel surface measuring 4,800 by 135 feet. The runway lies at the base of a mountain with rising terrain in the approach zone at both ends, so crews should expect the associated caution notes for wind and turbulence.