Alaska now boasts world’s busiest airport

It’s not called the Last Frontier for nothing. But the state of Alaska suddenly finds itself at the centre of the aviation world. Its largest city, Anchorage, has handled more flights at its international airport than the world’s biggest air hubs, including Hartsfield-jackson in Atlanta, Heathrow in London and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Last weekend Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) made it official, tweeting that it had become the “world’s busiest airport for aircraft operations.” The airport — named after a former Alaskan senator — normally sees only a fraction of the passengers most terminals process. But it has become the darling of the cargo world — a title typically claimed by Hong Kong — since the coronavirus swept the globe and grounded most air travel. It has even welcomed the world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, as it brought in much-needed medical gear to battle the novel coronavirus. A spokesman said: “This points to how significantly the global aviation system has changed and highlights the significance of our role in the global economy and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.” The airport, which is described as being less than 10 hours from 90 per cent of the industrial world, was expected to process 948 arrivals and departures this week, compared to 682 at Heathrow, the Daily Telegraph reported. Freight operators dominate the skies as passenger flights have all but evaporated, data from the website Flightradar24.com shows. Cargo remains the only “bright spot” for the aviation industry, Alexandre de Juniac, the chief executive of trade body IATA, has stated.