Nome Airport

Nome Airport (IATA: OME, ICAO: PAOM, FAA LID: OME) is a state owned, public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) west of the central business district of Nome, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska.

As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 59,984 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 54,994 enplanements in 2009, and 56,658 in 2010. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).

The State of Alaska also operates Nome City Field (FAA LID: 94Z), a public general aviation airfield located one nautical mile (1.85 km) north of the city.

History

In World War II, the civilian Nome Airport shared use of the runway with Marks Army Airfield for transfer of Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union and in 1942, for air defense of the western coast of Alaska. Renamed Marks Air Force Base in 1948, the military installation was used as a fighter-interceptor forward base until they were pulled back to Galena Air Force Station. Marks AFB closed in 1950 and an air base squadron was at Nome Airport until December 1956.