Alaska Trends

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emphis is still the #1 destination for Graceland visitors. The Bluff City can cling to that superlative despite no longer having the nation’s busiest cargo airport. Restructuring by FedEx decreased domestic cargo through its Memphis hub by 20 percent, dropping the airport behind UPS hub Louisville, which handles more international shipping, and even below Miami, where 80 percent of cargo is from overseas, not subject to domestic fluctuations.

Which US airport, then, topped April’s ranking by Airports Council International World? Good ol’ Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The Air Crossroads of the World has grown its cargo handling by 40 percent since 2019, when it ranked third in the US and sixth in the world. In 2025, only two other airports moved more cargo: Shanghai Pudong International at 4.1 million tonnes and the champion, Hong Kong International, at 5.1 million tonnes.

This month’s article “Anchorage Airport Takes Off” by Terri Marshall reports on updates at ANC driven by, and in support of, growth in cargo and passenger volume.

For this edition of Alaska Trends, we explore findings from the Alaska International Airport System (comprising the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Fairbanks International Airport) year-end report, detailing contributions from facilities credited with 26,000 jobs statewide and $2.3 billion in economic activity.

SOURCE: 2025 AIAS Annual Report
6.3M Passengers
traveled through ANC & FAI in 2025.

That’s about 9 times Alaska’s population.
Decorative pattern of nine dotted silhouettes of Alaska arranged in a three-by-three grid.
Increased Capacity
2025 saw an 8% year-over-year increase which included a 7% increase in Lower 48 capacity.
ANC ranked #1 in North America
for Concession sales per passenger in 2024.

The average enplaned passenger spent $20 per flight, or about 2 in-flight picnic packs.
Bar chart comparing airport costs, led by Anchorage at about $21, followed by JFK at $19 and Nashville at $18.
$152M
Total Operating Expenses
Pie chart of airport expenses: facilities 25%, field and equipment maintenance 20%, safety 19%, debt service 18%, administration 11%, and operations 7%.
3.8M Tonnes
of cargo were handled by ANC

About 10 times the annual garbage handled by Anchorage Regional Landfill
Illustrations of packages moving by conveyor into an airplane and a bulldozer pushing discarded boxes.
$20M
Revenue Increase

In FY2025, Alaska International Airport System generated $193M in operating revenue and Passenger Facility Charges, an increase of $20M over FY2024.
Pie chart of airport revenue: airfield operations 57%, concession fees 14%, terminal rents 13%, land rental fees and other 6%, vehicle parking 6%, and passenger facility charges 4%.
57,345 Cargo Landings Annually

1 every 10 minutes, allowing for 24/7/365 operations
Stopwatch icon with motion lines indicating speed or reduced processing time.
Cargo boxes stacked on a wheeled scissor-lift platform.
18%
Increase

in cargo handled by FAI.
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