The Yukon's capital often serves as a strategic location — and some think military traffic has recently been increasing. Many U.S. military aircraft stop while transiting from Alaska to the Lower 48. Like Cripps, he only noticed a reduction in military aircraft activity when the runway closed, followed by an uptick when it reopened. No numbers availableLuchsinger said the armed forces had no public data readily available on the number or frequency of military flights over the Yukon. According to Watkins, tracking changes in the presence of military aircraft in the Yukon remains difficult.