Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 9

168 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 9 north of the airport, and some logging activity currently. That site is used as a log transfer facility. Then there are several private properties; most of them are waterfront residential, as well as a few commercial sites. That is all accessible by the ferry from the City of Ketchikan and connected by about 10 miles of gravel road maintained by the government.” Ketchikan Airport is in a unique situation. The terminal is owned by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, while the property is owned by the State of Alaska. Peura notes, “We lease the land from them and operate the airport, but the state owns the land. That means the state has a heavy presence in the operation of the airport; they provide various funding and equipment, the FAA control tower, and the ILS. We maintain and run the terminal side of things.” The terminal itself was constructed in 1976 and has seen renovation and expansion since both famed bush planes that have not been manufactured since the 1950s and ‘60s but are still among the best ways to travel in the north. The airport has a staff of 28 dedicated employees that include the ferry crew, administration, operations, janitorial staff, and ARF (Airport Rescue and Firefighting) personnel. There are also three police officers and a security coordinator. The FBO is Aero Services, which also provides services at Juneau and Sitka. At Ketchikan, they have some private hangar space, as well as a maintenance shop in one of the two buildings they operate inside the secure area. The other building is offices and administration. In addition, they offer tie-downs, fuel service, cargo handling, catering, and even on-site transportation. According to Peura, “The airport is quite large geographically, but there are also a few other things on the island. There is a sawmill site