Sandy River Federal I Airport

The closure was due to economic reasons directly resulting from a natural disaster. The airport was a private airstrip built and maintained to serve the Sandy River salmon cannery. When the 1964 tsunami destroyed the cannery, the airport lost its purpose and economic support, leading to its abandonment.

The site is completely abandoned and is being reclaimed by the Alaskan tundra. Satellite imagery shows the faint but clear outline of a single runway. The surface is overgrown with vegetation, and there are no remaining buildings, hangars, or signs of aviation activity. The ruins of the old cannery may be visible nearby. The site is not used for any formal purpose and is inaccessible except by boat or specialized aircraft landing elsewhere.

The Sandy River Federal I Airport was a private, unpaved airstrip whose significance was entirely logistical. In the remote and rugged terrain of the Alaska Peninsula, the airport was a vital transportation link for the Pacific American Fisheries cannery at Sandy River. It handled the movement of personnel, mail, fresh food, and critical supplies to and from the isolated facility. Operations would have consisted of small to medium-sized bush planes and propeller aircraft (such as Cessnas, Pipers, and possibly larger planes like the DC-3) capable of landing on a short, gravel or dirt runway. The airport was a crucial piece of infrastructure that enabled a major commercial fishing operation in the mid-20th century.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Sandy River Federal I Airport. Given its extreme remoteness, the complete absence of any local population or industry, and the prohibitive cost of restoring and certifying an airfield in such an environment, there is no economic or logistical justification for its revival.