Eielson AFB Airport (PAEI), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Eielson AFB (PAEI), located near Fairbanks, Alaska, is a private-use military installation supporting Pacific Air Forces fighter operations and periodic large-scale exercises such as Red Flag Alaska. The field is towered and features a single 14,530-foot concrete runway, among the longest in the region, reflecting its role as a strategic military airfield rather than a civilian business aviation hub. Access is restricted, arrivals require prior permission, and support services such as fuel, maintenance, and customs are limited and tied to specific coordination procedures. The nearest civil customs airport is Fairbanks International, roughly 21 nautical miles away. Business aviation traffic at PAEI is minimal in volume and concentrated in particular months of the year.
Runways
Eielson AFB Airport has one paved runway, 14/32, 14,530 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Eielson AFB Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Fairbanks International (PAFA), 21 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Eielson AFB Airport recorded 39 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at Eielson AFB (PAEI) is concentrated in a handful of months, with August and October showing the highest counts and January, July, and December showing little to no activity.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 7 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Eielson AFB Airport averages 0.2 days above 90°F in June, 30.9 freeze days in January and 4.8 snow days in October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 71.6°F, and January the coldest, at -0.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Eielson AFB Airport has published operating constraints in six categories: access, runway notes, emergency arresting systems, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
Transient crews are not available for handling cryptographic material. VIP arrivals require 30-minute prior permission with chock time coordinated through airfield management. Fleet service is limited, and potable water is not available.
File flight plans two hours before departure. Arrivals requiring customs need prior permission 1.5 hours in advance through Command Post. U.S. Immigration Service is not available.
Air terminal and ground handling services operate from 1630 to 0030Z on weekdays. Prior permission is required or delays should be expected; coordinate through airfield management.
Prior permission is required five days to 24 hours before arrival, coordinated through airfield management. Prior permission is valid within plus or minus 30 minutes of the stated arrival time; any change to that time must be coordinated by phone or the permission is cancelled. Expect arrival time restrictions except for air evacuation and distinguished visitor code 7 and above.
Under moderate bird watch conditions, local pattern work is limited to the minimum required with group or wing commander approval; touch-and-go and formation takeoffs and landings are not authorized, and low approaches are limited to 300 feet AGL. Under severe bird watch conditions, takeoff, pattern work, and landing are not authorized except in an emergency.
Maintenance operations center requires prior permission 48 hours from estimated time of arrival. UHF is the preferred pattern frequency.
Transient weather briefings are available when the airfield is closed, with three hours prior notice through the operational weather squadron.
Departures must remain at or below 1,500 feet until reaching the departure end of the runway.
Runway lighting is nonstandard. The north section is 11,314 feet long and 300 feet wide, while the south section is 3,200 feet long and 150 feet wide. Lighting at the Taxiway A entrance on the east side of the runway has a 446-foot gap between lights, and lighting at the Taxiway C entrance on the east side has a 400-foot gap between lights.
Avoid the small arms range located 2.5 nautical miles east of the Runway 32 end on weekends from 1700 to 0100Z, surface to 3,500 feet AGL.
PACAF fighter arrivals expecting reduced runway separation: similar type during the day requires 3,000 feet; dissimilar type, night, wet runway, behind a foreign object or runway condition reading below 17 requires 6,000 feet; fighter landing behind a non-fighter requires 9,000 feet. Runway condition readings are validated as conditions warrant.
Moose have been reported on and in the vicinity of the runway.
Personnel and equipment may be working on the runway when the tower is unmanned.
Caution: nonstandard lighting. A 2,000-foot runway edge light section between Taxiways D and C is located 12 feet from the runway edge.
Field condition and runway condition codes are not reported.
Runway 14/32 BAK-12 arresting cables at the departure end are in the raised position. The BAK-12 arresting gear on Runway 14/32 is available with 20 minutes prior notice. North barrier runout is reduced to 950 feet, and hook-equipped aircraft should be alert.
Quiet hours are in effect from 0800 to 1500Z; uncontrolled takeoffs and landings are not authorized during this period, and exceptions require group or wing commander approval.
Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard Phase II is in effect during April, May, August, and September. Gulls, ducks, and geese pose a hazard when standing water is present on the field. Bird and animal strikes in the vicinity of the airport should be reported to airfield management.
Transient alert service is available 24 hours a day.
The overhead traffic pattern altitude is 2,000 feet MSL, and the rectangular traffic pattern altitude is 1,500 feet MSL.
Cargo and aircrew arrivals must contact Command Post three hours prior and again 30 minutes prior to landing.
Extensive fuel delays should be expected during Red Flag Alaska exercises from April through October.
Alaska Air National Guard 168th Air Refueling Squadron operations and ANG operations desk are available; ANG operations desk operates 24 hours a day.
North and south barrier runout is reduced to 950 feet.
Portions of the apron overflow row and south ramp are not visible from the tower.
Contingency operations are managed by the airfield manager.
Transient alert maintenance is limited to F-16 servicing upon aircrew request. F-16 through-flight, before-flight, and preflight inspections are not available.
Radio, navigation, and weather service remarks apply daily from 1500 to 0700Z.
Prime Knight service is not available.
Flight advisory or restricted and military operating area status is available via Eielson Range Control SUAIS radio on frequency 125.3.
See Airport/Facility Directory supplemental remarks: base operations is not responsible for COMSEC material. Limited secret and COMSEC storage is available. Top secret and COMSEC information handling is coordinated through Command Post.
Caution: fire hydrants are located 64 feet northeast of the Taxiway H centerline.
Load and offload engine-running operations are not authorized. Engine-running offload service is available for Air Mobility Command aircraft.
The VHF point-to-point frequency is unmonitored.
The loop taxiway east of Corrosion Hangar 1348 through the 4/8 bay area is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of 45 feet or less.
De-ice Type 1 fluid is available; anti-ice Type 4 fluid is not available.
ARFF status shows a Critical Level of Service at 62% for USAF Category 10, and a Reduced Level of Service at 81% for USAF Category 9.
Transient aircraft should contact Base Operations at least 30 minutes prior to arrival. Eielson AFB is a 1 MOG (maximum on ground) station.
No pallet trains longer than T3 with overhang will be accepted due to 25K loader support limitations.
Weather service operates 24 hours a day except during airfield or tower closure. Observations are made by an AN/FMQ-19 automated observation system augmented by human observation.
Airfield management operates 24 hours a day; the operations base office operates from 0800 to 1600Z. Expect service delays during holidays.
Local or deploying aircraft require maintenance personnel to complete operations, including de-ice personnel during cold weather. Transient alert service is not available beyond the initial block-in.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Eielson AFB Airport has three airfields within 22 NM. The closest is Ladd Aaf (PAFB), 16.71 NM northwest.
Part of the Interior and Northern Alaska area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PAEI
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.
$1,200.00 catering order at PAEI.
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
Is PAEI accessible to civilian or private business aircraft?
Eielson AFB is a private-use military airfield restricted to authorized traffic, not a civil business aviation gateway. PPR is required five days to twenty-four hours before arrival, coordinated through airfield management, and prior permission is validated within thirty minutes of the stated arrival time. Transient aircrew and ground handling support carry limits, and transient maintenance is restricted to F-16 servicing on aircrew request. This makes PAEI unsuitable for unplanned or short-notice business aviation stops.
What customs procedures apply for arrivals at Eielson AFB?
Eielson AFB has no onsite customs processing; the nearest customs airport is Fairbanks International, about 21 nautical miles away. Arriving flights requiring customs must request prior permission at least 1.5 hours ahead through the Command Post, and U.S. Immigration Service is not available at the field. Flight plans must be filed two hours before departure. Dispatchers should plan customs clearance through the Fairbanks-area facility rather than expecting service at PAEI itself.
What is the runway length at PAEI and are there any operational cautions?
Runway 14/32 at Eielson AFB is a 14,530-foot concrete surface, 150 feet wide, capable of handling large military aircraft types. Lighting is nonstandard, with edge lights spaced unevenly near taxiway intersections, and barrier runout on both the north and south ends is reduced to 950 feet. Moose have been reported on and in the vicinity of the runway, and portions of the apron are not visible from the tower. Crews should account for these factors when planning arrivals or departures.
Does Eielson AFB see seasonal variation in business aviation traffic?
Yes, business aviation activity at Eielson AFB (PAEI) is concentrated in specific months rather than spread evenly across the year, with the highest counts recorded in August and October and minimal or no activity in January, July, and December. Total annual business aviation operations remain low, at 39 for 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, within an overall annual operations count of 16,203. Dispatchers planning trips to PAEI should expect uneven month-to-month demand rather than steady traffic.