Wainwright Airport (PAWI), Alaska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Wainwright Airport (PAWI) is an unattended gravel-runway field serving northern Alaska's coastal region. Business aviation traffic is light, and the nearest customs facility sits well over 380 nautical miles away in Nome.
Runways
Wainwright Airport has one unpaved runway, 06/24, 4,494 ft long and 110 ft wide, with a gravel surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Wainwright Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Nome (PAOM), 388 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Wainwright Airport recorded 1,015 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in November. Business aviation traffic at PAWI is heavier from April through November, with November showing the highest monthly count and October the lowest.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month November, 132 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Wainwright Airport averages 31.0 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 52.2°F, and February the coldest, at -4.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Wainwright Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: runway notes, environmental and other notes.
REIL, PAPI, and MIRL lighting for runway 06/24 are pilot-activated via CTAF.
A 40-foot tower stands 500 feet north of the runway.
Runway condition is unmonitored; a visual inspection is recommended prior to use.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Barrow Flight Service Station.
Ramp and taxiway surfaces are soft; ruts and ponding are possible.
A weather camera is available online at the FAA weather cameras website.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Alternates
Wainwright Airport has three alternates within 82 NM. The nearest alternate is Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr Memorial (PATQ), 52.17 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PAWI
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 PAWI.
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
What runway does PAWI offer?
PAWI has a single gravel runway, 06/24, measuring 4,494 feet long and 110 feet wide. There is no paved surface at Wainwright Airport, and pilots should plan for gravel-runway performance considerations.
Is fuel available at Wainwright Airport?
Fuel type data is not confirmed for PAWI in current records. Operators should verify fuel availability directly before planning a stop at Wainwright Airport, since the field is unattended.
Where is the nearest customs facility to PAWI?
Wainwright Airport (PAWI) has no onsite customs service. The nearest customs-capable airport is Nome (PAOM), located approximately 388 nautical miles away, so international arrivals must route through that facility.