Wake Island Airfield

Wake Island Airfield is a United States Air Force installation located on Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean. Jurisdiction over the island transferred to the Navy Department in 1934. In 1935, Pan American World Airways selected the atoll for a seaplane support base, with the first aerial landing occurring on August 9, 1935. A naval air station was established in December 1940 to support land-based aircraft. The site was the location of the Battle of Wake Island in 1941 and remained under Japanese occupation until September 1945. In October 1950, the airfield was the site of a meeting between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur. From the 1930s until the early 1970s, the facility functioned as a refueling stop for commercial transpacific flights operated by carriers such as Pan American World Airways, Japan Airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation, and Philippine Airlines.

The base is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the U.S. Air Force under the control of Pacific Air Forces. The 611th Air Support Group and the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center manage the installation. Current operations include supporting refueling stops and the testing and development of missile defense systems. The airfield also serves as an emergency landing point for commercial aircraft. The facility is manned by active duty Air Force personnel and a contingent of contractors, with capacity to host additional personnel during transpacific military deployments.

Infrastructure includes an air terminal building and support facilities modernized between 2020 and 2021, including lighting, drainage, and surface repairs. The airfield hosts various aircraft, including C-17A Globemaster III and C-130 transport aircraft, and provides refueling for F/A-18 Hornets. Air Transport International and Mid-Pacific Jets operate charter services to destinations including Honolulu and Travis Air Force Base.