Pangborn Memorial Airport

Pangborn Memorial Airport has proudly been in existence since 1941. The airport was named after Clyde Pangborn, who along with co-pilot Hugh Herndon completed the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean in 1931. Their epic journey began in Misawa, Japan, and ended 41 hours later in East Wenatchee, Washington. In 1945, Northwest Airlines launched the first commercial passenger air service to and from Pangborn Memorial Airport and the rest is history. Our air service is now provided by Alaska Airlines and its regional subsidiary Horizon Air. With daily flights to Seattle and connections beyond, accessing the world has never been easier from the Wenatchee Valley.

Today the airport is owned by the Ports of Chelan and Douglas Counties and operated by the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority. However, it wasn’t always this way. The airport was originally governed by the City of Wenatchee, which, in recognition of the regional importance and benefit of the airport, transferred ownership to the Port of Chelan County in 1965.

Improvements to reliability and capabilities include installation of an instrument landing system in 2006 and a lead in lighting system to improve winter reliability will be operational in late 2022.  The airport’s primary runway (Runway 12/30) was extended to 7,000 feet in 2016 to accommodate larger mainline commercial aircraft like Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s. This multi-year, $30 million dollar project was funded with Airport Improvement Program funds and by the Ports of Chelan and Douglas Counties. The project was no easy feat as it required the purchase of several properties, relocation of Grant Road, and relocation of major utilities. 

With the primary runway extension complete and significant improvements to the ramp and taxiways planned, the Pangborn Memorial Airport is equipped for a bright future.  Efforts to secure a direct flight to the San Francisco Bay Area and other destinations in the west coast/mountain west are underway.