Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU)

Chuathbaluk Airport is a state-owned public-use airfield serving Chuathbaluk, a small Yup'ik community on the north bank of the Kuskokwim River in western Alaska. Located about one mile northeast of the village, it provides an essential air link for a community with no road connection to the rest of the state.

The airport, activated in January 1988 and maintained by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, operates a single gravel and dirt runway designated 9/27 and measuring 3,401 by 60 feet. There is no control tower, and the field is unattended, with runway lights and visual approach aids activated by pilots as needed.

Scheduled small-aircraft and charter services connect Chuathbaluk with regional hubs such as Bethel, roughly 100 miles downriver, and nearby Aniak. Most passenger travel relies on small planes, while the Kuskokwim River provides seasonal barge, skiff, and winter ice-road transport.

Facilities are minimal, and passengers should expect a simple rural airfield experience. Travelers continue to the village by local vehicle, ATV, snowmachine, or on foot, often with arrangements made through lodges or community contacts.