Owing to Alaska’s geographic location, the expanded passenger rights are designed to assist Alaska’s international airports when competing with foreign airports, thereby spurring economic growth in Alaska.
“We have analyzed passenger aircraft performance and belly cargo capacity, and there is a substantial revenue opportunity for airlines to utilize ANC,” said Airport Director Jim Szczesniak. “For example, Hong Kong to Dallas nonstop has a belly cargo weight penalty—a stop at ANC eliminates that penalty and allows for more than $40,000 in additional cargo revenue for each flight.”
Szczesniak provided additional scenarios benefiting long-haul passenger airlines:
- Brisbane-Anchorage-Chicago allows an additional 24 cargo positions, an additional $64,000 or more in cargo revenue.
- Sydney-Anchorage-New York allows an additional 23 cargo positions, an additional $62,000 in cargo revenue.
- Taipei-Anchorage-Toronto transferring cargo, passengers, and taking on cargo and/or passengers. No belly cargo limitations.
- New Delhi-Anchorage-Los Angeles stopping in ANC only adds 0.5% in additional great circle distance compared to non-stop. No belly cargo limitations. A simultaneous arrival with Mumbai-Anchorage-San Francisco flight could offer short connection times for passengers and also connect traffic to a U.S. partner airline to serve Seattle or other West Coast cities.
