Cold Bay Airport (PACD), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Cold Bay Airport, PACD, sits at the western end of the Alaska Peninsula and serves as a key stop for aircraft transiting between the mainland and the Aleutian chain. The field's long paved runway and instrument lighting make it a reliable option in a region where alternates are limited and weather can turn quickly. Business aviation traffic recorded here reflects cross-border movements tracked by the FAA, given the airport's role along international and remote domestic routes.
Runways
Cold Bay Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 15/33, is 10,179 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
Cold Bay Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Cold Bay Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Unalaska (PADU), 154 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Cold Bay Airport recorded 537 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at PACD is concentrated in the summer months, with July recording the highest count of the year according to FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 73 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Cold Bay Airport averages 24.8 freeze days in March and 4.9 snow days in December. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 57.2°F, and January the coldest, at 33.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Cold Bay Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Customs is unavailable on site. Foreign-registered aircraft arrivals require a written prior permission request submitted 24 to 48 hours in advance, sent by fax.
Deicing and fuel service are available Monday through Friday from 0800 to 1700. Service after hours requires prior permission and is subject to a fee.
An ATCVT MALSR system serves runway 15. PAPI visual glideslope indicators serve runways 08, 26, and 33. High intensity runway lighting (HIRL) serves runway 08/26 and runway 15/33. All lighting is activated via CTAF.
Personnel and equipment working on the runways.
Birds are present in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 620/F/B/X/T
Airport beacon operates on photocell control.
Snow and ice removal, along with airport hazard reporting, occur during duty hours unless prior arrangement is made in writing with the Airport Manager.
The visual glideslope indicator is unusable beyond 5 degrees right of centerline.
Locked wheel landings are not authorized.
Unlighted towers are located 0.4 nautical miles north, 0.9 nautical miles south, and 4.8 nautical miles northwest of the airport.
Airport sand is a larger grade than FAA recommended; see AC 150/5200-30.
A weather camera is available at https://weathercams.faa.gov.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Cold Bay Airport has two airfields within 32 NM. The closest is King Cove (PAVC), 16.66 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PACD
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 PACD.
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 runway length is available at Cold Bay Airport (PACD)?
Cold Bay Airport, identifier PACD, has two paved asphalt runways. The primary runway, 15/33, measures 10,179 feet long and 150 feet wide, making it one of the longer strips in the region. A secondary runway, 08/26, is 4,900 feet long and also 150 feet wide. Both surfaces are paved, giving operators a choice of alignment depending on wind. The long runway length at PACD supports a range of aircraft types including larger business jets.
Is customs available on site at PACD?
Customs is not available on site at Cold Bay Airport, PACD. The nearest customs facility is at PADU, located approximately 154 nautical miles away. Foreign-registered aircraft arriving at PACD require a written prior permission request submitted 24 to 48 hours in advance, sent by fax. Operators planning international arrivals should route this paperwork well ahead of the flight since no customs processing occurs at the field itself.
When is fuel available at Cold Bay Airport?
Cold Bay Airport, PACD, offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel. Deicing and fueling services operate Monday through Friday from 0800 to 1700. Requests outside those hours require prior permission and are subject to a fee. The airport's general attendance schedule runs Monday through Saturday from 0700 to 1800, so fuel availability outside the stated fueling window should be confirmed directly with airport management before planning a stop.
What lighting is available on the runways at PACD?
Cold Bay Airport, identifier PACD, is equipped with an ATCVT MALSR system on runway 15, along with PAPI visual glideslope indicators on runways 08, 26, and 33. High intensity runway lighting, HIRL, covers both runway 08/26 and runway 15/33. All lighting is activated through the CTAF, since the field is not towered. Pilots operating at PACD outside daylight hours should plan to key the CTAF frequency to bring up the runway and approach lights.
Does business aviation traffic at Cold Bay Airport vary by season?
Yes, business aviation traffic at Cold Bay Airport, PACD, is concentrated in certain months of the year according to FAA TFMSC data. July shows the highest monthly count at 73 operations, noticeably above the yearly average. November is the lowest month, with 28 operations recorded. Dispatchers scheduling flights into PACD during the summer months should account for this higher traffic period when coordinating arrival and departure timing at the field.