Kake Airport (PAFE), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
KAKE Airport (PAFE), also identified as AFE, serves the community of Kake, Alaska with a single paved runway and no on-field customs service, the nearest customs facility being Sitka (PASI) roughly 48 nautical miles away. The field is unattended, and dispatchers should plan around a gross weight restriction, wildlife activity on and near the runway, and a general recommendation for daylight operations given high terrain surrounding the airport on three sides.
Runways
Kake Airport has one paved runway, 11/29, 4,000 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt 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
Kake Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Sitka Rocky Gutierrez (PASI), 48 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Kake Airport recorded 1,009 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May. Business aviation traffic at KAKE peaks in May through July, with May recording the highest monthly count of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 133 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Operating constraints
Kake Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: weight restrictions, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
The airport is closed to aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight, except with prior permission for safety and security reasons, or by mail request to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in Juneau.
Runway condition is unmonitored and maintenance is irregular; a visual inspection is recommended before use.
REIL and PAPI on Runway 11, and MIRL on Runway 11/29, are pilot-activated via CTAF.
Brush 2 feet high is located 100-160 feet from the runway threshold, 230 feet right of centerline.
An unlit 191-foot tower stands 6,300 feet north of the threshold.
Floatplanes are permitted onto the runway; not authorized onto the taxiway or apron.
Wildlife is present on and in the vicinity of the runway.
Daylight operations are recommended due to high terrain to the north, east, and south.
A weather camera is available online at the FAA weather cameras website.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Kake Airport has two airfields within 48 NM. The closest is Petersburg James A Johnson (PAPG), 33.05 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PAFE
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 PAFE.
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 there a weight limit for aircraft operating at KAKE (PAFE)?
Yes, KAKE Airport is closed to aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight. Exceptions require prior permission for safety and security reasons, or can be requested by mail through the Alaska DOT and Public Facilities office in Juneau. Dispatchers planning flights above this weight threshold need to secure that approval before scheduling any operation into PAFE.
Where is the nearest customs facility to PAFE?
KAKE Airport (PAFE) has no customs service on-site. The nearest customs facility is at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (PASI), located approximately 47.71 nautical miles from PAFE. Crews requiring customs clearance near Kake, Alaska should plan their routing through Sitka accordingly.
What runway lighting is available at KAKE Airport?
KAKE Airport (PAFE) has a single asphalt runway, 11/29, measuring 4,000 feet long and 100 feet wide. Runway 11 is equipped with REIL and PAPI lighting, and both runway ends carry MIRL, medium intensity runway edge lighting. These lights are pilot-activated through the common traffic advisory frequency since the field is unattended.
Are there any operational hazards to be aware of at PAFE?
KAKE Airport (PAFE) has several notable hazards for arriving and departing traffic. Wildlife is reported on and in the vicinity of the runway, and high terrain lies to the north, east, and south of the field, prompting a recommendation for daylight operations. Runway condition is also noted as unmonitored with irregular maintenance, so a visual inspection before use is advised.