Elim Airport (ELI)

Elim Airport (PFEL) serves the remote Yup'ik Eskimo village of Elim on Alaska's Seward Peninsula, positioned at coordinates 64.61° latitude and -162.27° longitude approximately 90 miles east of Nome on the northern coast of Norton Sound, providing essential aviation access to this isolated indigenous community of fewer than 350 residents who maintain traditional subsistence lifestyles while adapting to modern challenges in one of America's most remote Arctic environments. The airport operates as a vital transportation link for this traditional Alaska Native village where subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering continue to provide essential food sources while residents also participate in modern education, healthcare, and economic opportunities through reliable aviation connections. The facility features basic infrastructure designed to accommodate small aircraft operations serving the essential transportation needs of village residents, teachers, healthcare workers, government officials, and visitors accessing this culturally significant Yup'ik community known for preserving traditional Arctic knowledge and subsistence practices. The airport enables efficient transportation for students traveling to educational opportunities, medical patients requiring specialized care, and cultural visitors participating in traditional knowledge programs and subsistence activities that preserve indigenous Arctic heritage and demonstrate sustainable living practices in harsh northern environments. Operational services focus on maintaining essential connectivity for one of Alaska's most traditional indigenous communities while supporting the preservation of Yup'ik culture and providing access to modern services needed by Arctic residents living in extreme isolation from urban centers. The airport represents a crucial piece of infrastructure enabling cultural continuity and community survival in the Arctic, demonstrating aviation's essential role in supporting indigenous communities maintaining traditional ways of life while participating in contemporary society and preserving ancestral knowledge for future generations in Alaska's challenging but culturally rich northern coastal environment.