There have been numerous reports of U.S. Customs staffing issues affecting pilots trying to clear into Alaska.

Ketchikan customs advised one pilot to file eApis at least 3 days in advance!

Northway continues to offer clearance only at 9 am and 3 pm. Here’s what the supervising agent emailed one pilot:

“Northway is a landing rights airport. You must file an EAPIS for Northway and then you will receive a denied landing rights email. This is standard procedure so that all aircraft contact us directly after we have your airplane and personal info in the system. Once the officer has completed what they need to do, they will contact you and make arrangements for processing at Northway at either 9 am or 3 pm daily unless you opt for a bypass to Anchorage.

This can be accomplished IF you can make it to Anchorage with a tech stop only for fuel in Tok.

Northway inspections are completed based on staffing so there is always a chance for delays or unavailability.”

The direct line for Northway is 907-774-2247; Main office is 907-774-2252 or 2242.

Not to confuse things, but the supervisory Custom’s agent in Anchorage said this:

1. “File eAPIS for Northway
2. You will be denied landing rights but now the officers have your contact information.
3. When the officers finish what they are required to they will reach out to you, with the contact that was provided through eAPIS.
4. From there you have two choices
a. Either make arrangement for clearing there at Northway at either 0900 or 1500.
b. If those times don’t work for you can ask for a bypass to ANC. If you will need to stop in Tok, AK for fuel make sure that you bring that to the officers’ attention when they contact you via your contact info in eAPIS. If that is the case, then from Tok you will fly directly to ANC for you US Customs inspection and clearance, and then welcome back to the US.

Alcan/Northway has created a work around for the staffing by restricting the hours of aircraft clearing. Anything outside of those hours there has been another work around put in place by requesting bypass and clearing in ANC.”

Northway GA Airport Fact Sheet: http://fly2ak.com/PDF/PAOR20230620.pdf

Above info has also been posted on http://fly2ak.com

Customs is spending $187 million to rebuild the customs station in the middle of nowhere rather than bring it back towards Tok where it could be operated much more cost effectively and more convenient to use. Not that either entered the equation. Yes I said $187 million for a border in the middle of nowhere. I understand why the agents are often in a fowl mood. I wouldn't want to work their either.

I think it was congress that made them make applicants take a lie detector test, if you read up on these pseudoscience things it’s about a 50% fail rate, hard to staff like that

jprax wrote:Customs is spending $187 million to rebuild the customs station in the middle of nowhere rather than bring it back towards Tok where it could be operated much more cost effectively and more convenient to use. Not that either entered the equation. Yes I said $187 million for a border in the middle of nowhere. I understand why the agents are often in a fowl mood. I wouldn't want to work their either.

J,

Where is this new facility going to be located?

Kurt

I went through this Northway situation in April. We had beta about it and it really wasn’t a problem. We departed Whitehorse at 730am local and made it to Northway at 845am (don’t forget time change). Actually the officers were the most pleasant US officers I’ve dealt with.

Don’t wait for them to contact you. As soon as you get denied landing rights, call and talk to them. They may ask for you to call back after shift change but either way, start the communication process early and it won’t be an issue.

asa wrote: Don’t wait for them to contact you. As soon as you get denied landing rights, call and talk to them. They may ask for you to call back after shift change but either way, start the communication process early and it won’t be an issue.

Damn, times are changing faster than I can keep up with. We think we are not being groomed?
Sad part is going along with it!
Read that quote above again.
Sorry, wish we wouldn’t just cave.

Kurt
It should be about 2 blocks east of Northway but from what I have seen they are going to leave it at the border. This was one of the final things Don Young crowed about.
Joe

In May, I had a similar experience as Asa did. However, we were never denied landing. I filed the e-APIS and contacted them the day before. An officer was there promptly at 9:00AM when we arrived.

It is too bad that there are only two time slots, but it worked out ok.

Joe

My trip up in late June 2019 was similar and it was explained that the customs officer would meet on his way home from Northway roadside port of entry to where he lived in Tok. So this is a mater of their convenience not the tax payers. I was to be there at a specific time that coincided to his transit home at end of his shift.

Has anyone asked about just landing on the road and taxing to the pull out just north of the border station?
Maybe not an option right now with the road construction going on, but it is definitely long and straight enough to land on, especially once the frost heaves are fixed.

Now that is a creative suggestion “akclimber.” If I was planning to clear at Northway and was “denied” I’d sure ask that!

AKclimber wrote:Has anyone asked about just landing on the road and taxing to the pull out just north of the border station?
Maybe not an option right now with the road construction going on, but it is definitely long and straight enough to land on, especially once the frost heaves are fixed.

I talked to customs on the Saint Lawrence River years back about landing on the water and clearing, they did not like that idea

When I went through Whitehorse this year, there was a blinding snowstorm and Low IFR in Burwash, so I instead flew south and went through customs at Skagway. The CBP complained and was almost hostile on the phone, but they finally did send a friendly agent for both me and a C-185 at a decent hour (2 pm). Let's face it, unless we stand our ground we will eventually lose our ability to transit in our little airplanes (perhaps by 2030).

Christina Young wrote:When I went through Whitehorse this year, there was a blinding snowstorm and Low IFR in Burwash, so I instead flew south and went through customs at Skagway. The CBP complained and was almost hostile on the phone, but they finally did send a friendly agent for both me and a C-185 at a decent hour (2 pm). Let's face it, unless we stand our ground we will eventually lose our ability to transit in our little airplanes (perhaps by 2030).

(perhaps never)

I’m trying to understand what happened here Christina. I’m guessing (???) you had filed to clear U.S. Customs at Northway but had to divert to Skagway due to weather?

Did you try to call via cell phone or radio to update them?

Thank you!

Ted

No I stayed overnight in Whitehorse, and the weather was good towards Skagway and bad (snowstorm) towards Northway. I called CBP to clear customs at Skagway. First guy I spoke with said that I need to talk with supervisor and to call back later, since the supervisor was in a meeting. He said they are understaffed. When I did get the supervisor, that person was downright hostile. It wasn't just me, but me and a fellow traveler heading to the Alaska lodge he owns in his C-185. They simply didn't want to be bothered with little airplanes.

We have to remember that they work for us, and if they require inspection of our airplanes to re-enter the country, then they need to provide reasonable accommodations to do so.

BTW, I suspect we will get another update on Skagway soon (possibly sometime today).... a person that many may know is probably headed that way...

Look forward to an update re customs at Skagway.

I’m sorry to hear of your bad experience at Skagway. I cleared there twice last summer. The supervisor (I’m sorry I forget his name) was the one who showed up both times. He was the absolute nicest customs officer I’ve ever met anywhere! Friendly, smiling, good personality, could ask for a nicer gentleman.

There must be a new guy in town…