The Juneau International Airport Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Andres Delgado is the new Juneau International Airport Manager. The Airport Board appointed Mr. Delgado during the August 14, 2025 board meeting. The position recently became vacant when Patty Wahto retired.

Delgado has been the Maintenance and Operations Superintendent at the Juneau International Airport since July 2022. Prior to his service with the City and Borough of Juneau, he worked as Assistant Operations Manager and Marketing Program Manager at the Bakersfield Jet Center in California. Delgado holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration from Utah Valley University.

“I am honored to accept the position of Airport Manager with the City and Borough of Juneau. I appreciate the confidence placed in me and look forward to continuing to serve the Juneau International Airport and the community in this new capacity,” said Delgado

“Since the departure of Patty Wahto, Andres has demonstrated his worth to the Juneau International Airport as he has taken on increasing responsibilities under Interim Airport Manager Dave Palmer,” said Airport Board Chair Eve Soutiere. “The Board of Directors is very pleased to appoint an applicant who is familiar with the Juneau International Airport and the community, has the right skills to perform as the Airport Manager, and will continue to grow in the position.”

Delgado will start as the Airport Manager for the City and Borough of Juneau on August 18, 2025 and will be paid an annual salary of $168,958.40. Delgado will report to the Juneau International Airport Board of Directors.

The Juneau International Airport will conduct a full-scale emergency response exercise on Saturday, July 26, from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The exercise will include a simulated aircraft crash and live fire training, conducted in coordination with local emergency response agencies. As part of the simulation, controlled burning of fuel will occur to produce black smoke, replicating a real-world aircraft fire. This training scenario is essential to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements and improve emergency readiness.

What to expect:

• Visible smoke and flames from the airport grounds
• Emergency vehicles and response activity
• No danger to the public, this is a planned exercise

The burning is in accordance with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Open Burning Guidelines under 18 AAC 50.065(i) and (j), which permit limited black smoke emissions for firefighter training. All reasonable steps are being taken to minimize environmental impact and reduce smoke duration.

EVAR (Airport Dike Trail) Parking Lot Closed for Volunteer Parking
To support the exercise, the Emergency Vehicle Access Road (EVAR) parking lot off Radcliffe Road, also known as the Airport Dike Trail parking lot, will be closed to the public from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 25 through 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.

We appreciate the public’s understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure safety at Juneau International Airport.

For more information, contact Andres Delgado at [email protected] or 907-321-3803.

A Special Airport Board Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025 at noon at the Juneau International Airport Alaska Room. This meeting will be in-person only. The board will start in open season and move into executive session to interview a candidate for the Airport Manager Position.

The full agenda is available here: https://juneauak.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4579/files/agenda/10859

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For more information, please contact Shannon VanValin at 586-0962 or [email protected]

The Juneau International Airport this week began work on the Mendenhall Riverbank Stabilization project at the end of Runway 8, adjacent to the Emergency Vehicle Access Road (EVAR), also known as the Airport Dike Trail. Given the project location, the trail will be closed until work is completed in late July or early August.

The project includes stabilization of approximately 110 feet of riverbank that was damaged during the 2023 jökulhlaup (glacier outburst flood). Because the work is tide-dependent, exact days and hours of work will vary.

Please abide by posted trail closure signs for your safety. We recognize the inconvenience to trail users and appreciate your patience while these critical repairs are underway.

For more information, contact Ke Mell, JNU Airport Project Manager at (907) 321-3809 or [email protected].