The United States’ Most Isolated Airports In Operation

Across the United States, isolated airports are not just quirky pins on a map, but they are, in fact, major lifelines for all kinds of communities. In places where highways do not exist or do not reliably operate, an airstrip or a heliport becomes the community’s fast lane for medical care, groceries, mail, government services, and the occasional visitor willing to accept weather and scheduling uncertainty. Isolation also looks wildly different depending on where one is, with the US’ most isolated facilities ranging from storm-battered islands in Alaska to cliff-walled settlements in Hawaii. Analyzing these airports can tell you a lot about the US aviation industry and the operational challenges many of these facilities face.