Kasitsna Airport

The closure was likely due to a combination of factors rather than a single event. The primary reasons include: 1) **Operational Risk:** The airstrip was notoriously short, narrow, and located directly on the coast, making it susceptible to strong, unpredictable crosswinds and turbulence, posing a significant risk to pilots. 2) **High Maintenance Costs:** Maintaining a gravel airstrip in a coastal Alaskan environment is expensive due to erosion and rapid vegetation growth. 3) **Improved Alternative Access:** The adjacent Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, which the airport primarily served, has reliable and routine marine access from Homer and Seldovia. As boat transport became more efficient, the need for a high-risk, high-cost private airstrip diminished.

The former airport site is now fully integrated into the grounds of the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory. The runway is no longer maintained for aviation and is permanently closed. Recent satellite imagery shows the area is used as a storage and staging ground for the laboratory's operations. The footprint of the old runway is now occupied by shipping containers, research equipment, vehicles, and stored boats. While the faint outline of the strip is still visible, it is overgrown and completely obstructed.

Kasitsna Airport was a private, unregistered airstrip whose sole purpose was to provide logistical support to the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, a significant marine science facility co-operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). From its probable establishment in the mid-20th century, the airstrip was a vital link for transporting scientists, staff, sensitive equipment, and essential supplies to the remote facility. Operations were limited to small, single-engine STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable bush planes, such as Piper Super Cubs and Cessnas, which are common throughout Alaska.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kasitsna Airport. The logistical need for the airstrip has been entirely superseded by more reliable and safer marine transportation. The land has been repurposed for essential storage by the research lab, making a return to aviation service highly improbable.