At the start of the pandemic, air travel plummeted, inflicting a major blow to the airline industry. In April 2020, flights at the nation’s airports fell 55 percent to 2.5 million fewer than in 2019, but even with the skies emptier than usual, one hub found itself to be as busy as ever.
The unlikely winner in this situation was the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. On one Saturday last spring, the airport reported 948 arrivals and departures compared to London’s Heathrow Airport, which saw 682 the same day.
While people might not be trekking across the globe at pre-pandemic rates, the transportation of goods remained a priority. For cargo planes flying to America from Asian countries, Ted Stevens Airport is the perfect hub for refueling, particularly when airliners opt to pack the plane with more goods instead of additional fuel.
Location Is Everything!
At TSA International, the runways are long, weather-related delays are less frequent, and it isn’t far off course from flight paths into North America, making it the optimal location for a pit stop for heavily laden aircraft. The fact that the airport is just under 10 hours away from most industrialized locations in the world — equidistant between Tokyo and New York — doesn't make it any less attractive.
However, with air travel picking back up and more Americans feeling safe flying the friendly skies, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta reclaimed its position as the busiest hub in the world. Still, stops in Anchorage remain at elevated levels as the online shopping boom continues.
Video produced by Ali Larkin and John Tejada. Article written by Lawrence Banton.
For the full story on why Ted Stevens International Airport was the busiest in the world, click here or watch below.
