Wasilla, US πΊπΈ Closed Airport
US-11081
-
73 ft
US-AK
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 61.539912Β° N, -149.548471Β° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: AK58
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Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
05/23 |
2800 ft | 60 ft | GRVL | Active |
The airport did not have a single, abrupt closure date. It was gradually phased out and redeveloped throughout the 2000s. Based on historical satellite imagery, it appears to have ceased functioning as a formal airstrip and was de-listed sometime in the mid-to-late 2000s as residential construction encroached upon and eventually converted the runway.
The airport was closed due to residential development. The land, originally a private airstrip for a residential airpark, became more valuable for housing. The runway itself was paved and integrated into the subdivision as the main access road, 'W Fairview Loop', with homes built directly alongside it, eliminating the required safety clearances and making aviation operations impossible.
The site of the former airport is now a residential subdivision. The original runway has been converted into a wide residential road named 'W Fairview Loop'. The area is comprised of single-family homes on large lots, many of which still feature aircraft hangars as a legacy of the airport's past. The aviation theme is preserved in street names like W Aeronca Ave, W Stinson St, and W Cessna St.
Fairview West Airport was a private general aviation residential airpark. Its primary function was to serve pilots who lived in the adjacent community, allowing them to keep their aircraft at their homes (a 'fly-in community'). Operations consisted exclusively of light, single-engine aircraft such as Pipers, Cessnas, and Stinsons, which is reflected in the subdivision's current street names (e.g., W Piper St, W Cessna St). It was a characteristic example of Alaska's vibrant general aviation culture but never handled commercial or military traffic.
There are no prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been fully and permanently redeveloped for residential use, with homes, roads, and utilities built directly on the former runway and surrounding taxi areas. Re-establishing an airport at this location is physically and legally impossible without the complete demolition of the existing neighborhood.
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