DOT&PF proposes 18-year navigational aid lease extension at Chefornak Airport

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities filed notice on June 24 proposing to amend and extend the FAA's navigational aid site lease at Chefornak Airport by 18 years, a step that would authorize continued federal operation and maintenance of the weather and navigation systems serving the roadless Yup'ik community in the Bethel Census Area.

The proposed amendment, designated ADA-09696, would extend the existing lease ADA-07664, which covers roughly 310,000 square feet of airport property used for navigational aid sites. The amended lease authorizes operation and maintenance of FAA-owned navigation, communication, and weather aids, adding the CFK-AWOS automated weather observation system and the CFK-NASEB navigational aid at no annual rent to the FAA. DOT&PF filed under AS 02.15.090(c), which allows the lease without competitive bidding.

The comment deadline was 4:30 p.m. on July 7, 2026. Only those who submitted written comments will be notified of the final decision. The department has not yet executed a final decision.

The FAA awarded Chefornak Airport $6.6 million in Airport Improvement Program grants in 2024 to rehabilitate its access road, runway, and apron.

"Aviation provides the backbone of daily commerce to many communities in the state, including the delivery of food and life-saving supplies, inter-city and inter-village transportation, emergency medical evacuations and daily commuting," the FAA has said of Alaska's aviation network.

Contact for the proposed lease is Harrison Bivins at DOT&PF's Aviation Leasing Anchorage Office.