Anyone newly arrived in Alaska would find it hard to imagine that such a hostile environment boasts the most developed air transport industry in the world...
Because flying from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to most cities in the Northern Hemisphere only takes about 10 hours.
And Anchorage Airport is key to North America's connection to Asia, with most goods purchased online by Americans coming from East, and these goods are generally transshipped through Anchorage.
Alaska's harsh climate means that Anchorage Airport's instrument landing system operates year-round, but these negatives are not enough to deter airlines from their profit motives...
The geographic location here means that cargo planes can carry more goods with less fuel, lowering their operating costs through more economical flight transport.
Out of Anchorage's 300,000 people, one in ten relies on airport business or related industries for their livelihood.
