Why do planes stop at Anchorage?

Most North America/Asia cargo flights make a pit stop in Anchorage. The aircraft carry far less fuel than a non-stop, and as a result can haul a lot more cargo. When an aircraft lands in Anchorage, cargo can be moved to other aircraft heading to different destinations (nice efficiency boost).



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It serves as the primary link between cities in Asia and North America, as approximately 80 percent of all cargo flights operating across the Pacific make a “technical stop” at Anchorage to refuel, change crews, and (in some cases) to transfer cargo.

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Anchorage is home to hubs for UPS and FedEx and a strengthened supply chain means the airport is seeing record volumes of air cargo for the second year in a row.

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Nestled on the south-central coast of Alaska, Anchorage is roughly equidistant from Tokyo and New York City alike. That puts ANC within a 91/2-hour flight from 90% of the industrialized world. As such, roughly 80% of all air cargo traffic between Asia and North America passes through ANC, Parrott reports.

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Anchorage is best known for trails, wildlife, and glaciers, and it is the state's cultural soul as well.

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Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remains the busiest airport in the world with 5.2 million seats in September 2023. The composition of the Global Top 10 Busiest Airports is also the same as last month but there are a few changes to the rankings.

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An aircraft would not be safe to fly over the Pacific Ocean due to the stormy weather and frequent lightning strikes that occur there. Most planes from the Americas bound for East Asia use the overland route through Canada and Alaska due to the more favorable weather conditions.

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London Heathrow (LHR) is the busiest airport in the UK, handling almost twice the number of passengers as the next entry on the list.

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