Puviaq Airport

Project completion and economic factors. The airstrip was a private, special-purpose airfield built to support oil and gas exploration activities within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). Such airstrips were common for servicing remote drilling sites or geological survey camps. Once the specific exploration project was finished, there was no economic or logistical reason to maintain the airfield, and it was abandoned.

The site consists of an abandoned and unmaintained gravel runway. Satellite imagery clearly shows the linear feature of the airstrip, but it is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding arctic tundra. There is no remaining infrastructure, such as buildings or navigation aids. The land is part of the federally managed National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

Puviaq Airport was never a public or major military airport. Its historical significance is as an example of the crucial logistical infrastructure required for oil and gas exploration on the remote and harsh North Slope of Alaska. When active, it would have handled rugged, tundra-tire or ski-equipped aircraft (e.g., Douglas DC-3, de Havilland Twin Otter, Cessna 185) transporting personnel, equipment, and supplies to the nearby work site. It represents the temporary, utilitarian nature of airfields built to support the search for natural resources in the Arctic. Please note, the ICAO code 'US-10638' is a non-standard identifier found in some aviation databases and is not an official code assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Puviaq Airport. Its remote location, the high cost of maintenance in an arctic environment, and the lack of any nearby permanent settlement or economic activity make its reactivation highly improbable and economically unfeasible. Any future resource development in the immediate vicinity would likely construct a new, modern airstrip that meets current safety and environmental standards.