Bartletts Airport

The primary reason for closure was redundancy and consolidation following the development of the superior, state-owned Egegik Airport (PAII). The public airport offered a longer, paved, and better-maintained runway with instrument approaches, capable of handling larger aircraft in a wider range of weather conditions. It became more economical, safer, and more efficient for all air traffic to use the centralized public facility, removing the need for the private cannery to bear the cost and liability of maintaining its own separate airstrip.

The site of the former airport is no longer in use for aviation. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a faint, overgrown outline of the former runway adjacent to a fish processing plant. The area appears to be used as an unpaved access road and equipment storage/staging area for the industrial facility. The runway is unmaintained, partially reclaimed by vegetation, and completely unsuitable for aircraft operations.

Bartletts Airport was a private airstrip that served a salmon cannery on the south bank of the Egegik River. In the mid-20th century, before Alaska's public airport system was fully developed, such private airfields were vital lifelines for the state's numerous remote canneries. The airport's operations were seasonal, aligning with the summer salmon runs. It primarily handled small general aviation aircraft (e.g., Piper Super Cubs, Cessna 185s) operated by air taxi services. These flights were crucial for transporting key personnel, urgent supplies, mail, and facilitating medical evacuations for the isolated cannery workforce. The name 'Bartletts' likely refers to a historical owner or name associated with the cannery it served.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Bartletts Airport. The community of Egegik is well-served by the modern, state-maintained Egegik Airport (PAII / EGX), which negates any practical need for this small, private strip. Reopening the airfield would not be economically viable and would offer no advantages over the existing public airport.