Akutan Airport (KQA)

Akutan Airport (KQA) is a small public-use seaplane facility serving Akutan, a remote Unangan community on Akutan Island in Alaska's Aleutians East Borough. The facility operates from Akutan Harbor, directly beside the village, and has long been the community's main air connection to the rest of the state.

For years, scheduled amphibious seaplane service connected Akutan with Unalaska and Dutch Harbor under the federal Essential Air Service program. That service ended in late 2012, when the newer land-based Akutan Airport (7AK) opened on neighboring Akun Island, about six miles east across Akutan Bay.

The KQA facility remains a public-use seaplane base owned by the City of Akutan, with a water landing area in the harbor. Because Akutan has no road network, movement within the village is mostly on foot, with boats, helicopters, or a shuttle used for the crossing to Akun Island.

With limited facilities and no large terminal, the airport is best suited to regional and general aviation rather than large commercial operations. Travelers should confirm arrangements in advance, as services, weather, and transport links in this remote Aleutian location can change quickly.