Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska PASS
In Anchorage, AK, an initiative announced in November 2021 is poised to potentially transform logistics of freight passing through the region. The initiative—the Anchorage Pacific Air to Sea Service (also referred to as Alaska PASS)—is spearheaded by the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. (AEDC) and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. It is focused on offering an alternative to the traditional transpacific shipping model of goods taken by boat directly from Asia to North America.
At the core of Alaska PASS, it is a logistics solution aimed to capitalize on circumstances distinct to the Anchorage region. It is a multi-modal transportation opportunity for freight moving from Asia to the United States. Alaska PASS consists of an air charter flight from Asia to Anchorage, transloading in Anchorage to ocean vessel, ocean transport to Seattle, WA or Tacoma, WA, and transloading in Seattle/Tacoma to truck for final delivery.
“Alaska PASS is an innovative, intermodal shipping solution that aims to provide capacity relief for global supply chain challenges, such as those that we experienced during the pandemic as well as those that continue to persist.”
— Jenna Wright,
Interim President and CEO, AEDC
Contributing to the solution is the fact that Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (TSAIA) is one of few airports with special cargo transfer rights granted by 49 U.S.C. § 41703. This privilege allows foreign air carriers to land in Anchorage and continue its flight to another U.S. destination or transfer its cargo to a foreign aircraft without classifying the international journey as “broken.”
For ocean transport (southbound ships leaving from the Port of Alaska to Seattle or Tacoma), the efficiency is in the fact that those ships are often traveling to those ports empty—after having delivered to Port of Alaska.
The AEDC and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport requested Naniq Global Logistics (NGL) quantify the opportunity, identify benefits, and provide figures. A report on the initiative was published in 2021.
According to the NGL report, every week five ocean vessels leave the Port of Alaska bound for the Port of Tacoma with empty containers and truck trailers. The capacity of the empty containers would take 151 fully loaded Boeing 747 freighter aircraft to take advantage of this capacity.
Currently, ANC PASS is a proposed initiative. AEDC, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and other stakeholders are sharing information with companies that would potentially utilize this logistics approach.
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The Last Word: Economic Freight And EvolutionThrough teleconferences and meetings, the NGL team tested the concept of ANC PASS with personnel working for cargo owners and freight forwarders. The goal was to identify the level of interest and to understand concerns. These companies included DB Schenker USA, FedEx Ground, and Wal-Mart, among others.
“Alaska PASS is an innovative, intermodal shipping solution that aims to provide capacity relief for global supply chain challenges, such as those that we experienced during the pandemic as well as those that continue to persist,” said Jenna Wright, AEDC Interim President and CEO. “Retailers and manufacturers seeking relief from traditional supply chain delays and high costs could derive great benefit from this intermediary intermodal shipping solution. At AEDC, we see a tremendous opportunity for Anchorage to be a key player in increasing supply chain capacity by utilizing the Alaska PASS solution.”
For more information, visit www.aedcweb.com.
