Gambell Airport (PAGM), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Gambell Airport (PAGM) serves the community of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, with a single paved runway and no on-field customs service. Traffic is classed as tier 2, with cross-border business aviation activity tracked by the FAA at moderate levels through 2025. The field is unattended, and the nearest customs clearance point is PAOM, roughly 171 nautical miles away. Dispatchers working this station should plan around its remote location and the absence of onsite fuel type confirmation.
Runways
Gambell Airport has one paved runway, 16/34, 4,500 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt and concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Gambell Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Nome (PAOM), 171 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Gambell Airport recorded 307 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October. Business aviation traffic at PAGM peaks in October, according to FAA TFMSC data, with counts notably higher than the rest of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 48 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Operating constraints
Gambell Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
A lighted tower 98 feet tall stands 3,400 feet from the approach end.
ODALS is activated on runway 34; REIL is available on runway 16 and 34; VASI is available on runway 16 and 34; MIRL serves runway 16/34; all are activated via CTAF.
Runway condition is unmonitored; a visual inspection before landing is recommended.
Safety areas contain soft and loose gravel.
A weather camera is available on the internet at https://weathercams.faa.gov.
This is a cold temperature airport; altitude correction is required at or below -26°C.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Gambell Airport has one airfield within 34 NM. The closest is Savoonga (PASA), 33.30 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PAGM
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 PAGM.
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 does Gambell Airport (PAGM) offer?
PAGM has one paved runway, designated 16/34, measuring 4,500 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt-concrete surface. This is the only runway serving the field, and its full length matches the airport's maximum paved distance. There is no towered control at this location, so operations follow CTAF procedures.
Is customs clearance available at PAGM?
Gambell Airport does not have onsite customs service. The nearest customs facility is at PAOM, located approximately 170.58 nautical miles away. Crews requiring customs clearance near Gambell should plan their routing through PAOM rather than expecting service at PAGM itself.
What lighting is available at Gambell Airport?
PAGM offers ODALS on runway 34, REIL on both runway 16 and 34, VASI on both ends, and MIRL along runway 16/34, all activated via CTAF. A lighted tower 98 feet tall stands 3,400 feet from the approach end, a factor worth noting during approach planning at Gambell Airport.
Does GAM require special cold-weather procedures?
Gambell Airport (PAGM) is designated a cold temperature airport, requiring altitude correction at or below -26°C. Crews operating into GAM in winter conditions need to apply appropriate temperature corrections to published altitudes. Additionally, the runway condition is noted as unmonitored, so a visual inspection before landing is recommended regardless of season.