Wiley Post Will Rogers Memorial Airport - BRW in Barrow, Alaska

Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport (BRW): Barrow's Gateway to the Arctic

Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport (IATA: BRW) serves Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow), the northernmost city in the United States at 71.3°N latitude, on Alaska's Arctic Coast. The airport's name honors two aviation legends killed in a 1935 crash near Point Barrow: Post, the first person to fly solo around the world, and Rogers, America's beloved cowboy humorist. The crash site on the Arctic tundra is preserved as a state historical site accessible from Barrow. BRW is the primary air link for Utqiaġvik's approximately 4,500 residents — Alaska Airlines operates daily jet service connecting Barrow to Fairbanks and Anchorage, making BRW one of the northernmost scheduled jet airports in the world.

Utqiaġvik sits entirely above the Arctic Circle in the North Slope Borough, the oil-tax-revenue-rich borough that encompasses the North Slope's petroleum operations. The community is the administrative center of the borough and home to the Iñupiat Heritage Center and extensive Arctic scientific research infrastructure including the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium. BRW sees a diverse mix of traffic: scheduled passenger service, research equipment cargo flights, North Slope industry support, subsistence hunt support (including chartered flights for Bowhead whale hunting), and emergency services for Arctic Slope communities. Alaska DOT&PF operates BRW with the infrastructure investment appropriate for an Arctic hub of regional significance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport

Who were Wiley Post and Will Rogers?

Wiley Post was the first pilot to fly solo around the world (1933). Will Rogers was America's most beloved entertainer and humorist of the 1930s. Both were killed when their floatplane crashed near Barrow in August 1935 while exploring Alaska.

What airlines serve Barrow (BRW)?

Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service connecting Utqiaġvik to Fairbanks and Anchorage. Cargo carriers and smaller operators provide additional service for North Slope freight and community supply needs.

What is it like to fly into Barrow in winter?

Winter operations at BRW are Arctic extreme — polar night (no sun from November to January), temperatures below -40°F, and blowing Arctic winds creating significant operational challenges for aircraft and ground operations.

What is the midnight sun experience at Barrow?

Utqiaġvik experiences approximately 80 continuous days of midnight sun (May to August), during which the sun never sets — creating 24-hour daylight that enables continuous aviation operations during the Arctic summer.

Visiting Utqiaġvik via Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport

Utqiaġvik (Barrow) is one of Alaska's most visited extreme destinations — travelers come to experience the midnight sun, polar night, Arctic wildlife (polar bears, Arctic foxes, snowy owls), and the rich Iñupiat culture of the world's northernmost significant city. The airport terminal is a short distance from the community's accommodations and cultural resources including the Iñupiat Heritage Center. Adventure travelers, scientists, journalists, and photographers from around the world transit BRW regularly. The community is an important hub for Arctic research — the Barrow Arctic Research Center and associated facilities support scientists studying climate change, permafrost, Arctic wildlife, and atmospheric science.

The FAA Alaskan Region provides full ATC and navigational services at BRW, maintaining the infrastructure that supports a genuinely Arctic airport environment. Alaska DOT&PF invests substantially in BRW's infrastructure given its role as the hub for North Slope Borough communities and the logistical base for operations across the vast Arctic Slope. For pilots with experience in cold-weather aviation, a flight to Barrow represents one of Alaska's ultimate aviation challenges and rewards — navigating to the top of North America in an aircraft designed for a world where the Arctic is the most extreme operational environment that civilian aviation regularly encounters.