Thomas C Russell Field (KALX), Alabama
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Thomas C Russell Field (KALX) serves Alexander City, Alabama, with a single asphalt runway suited to business aviation traffic passing through the region. The field sits roughly 72 nautical miles from the nearest metro area and operates without a control tower, relying on CTAF for traffic coordination and on nearby Montgomery Approach and Atlanta ARTCC for clearance delivery.
Runways
Thomas C Russell Field has one paved runway, 18/36, 5,422 ft long and 96 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Thomas C Russell Field has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Thomas C Russell Field does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (KBHM), 56 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Thomas C Russell Field recorded 1,188 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in November. Business aviation traffic at KALX concentrates in the November and June-through-August periods, based on 2025 FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month November, 134 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Thomas C Russell Field averages 20.5 days above 90°F in July, 17.8 freeze days in January and 0.1 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91.2°F, and January the coldest, at 56.0°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Thomas C Russell Field has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
For clearance delivery, contact Montgomery Approach. When Approach is closed, contact Atlanta ARTCC for clearance delivery.
REIL on runway 36 is pilot-activated; MIRL on runway 18/36 is controlled via CTAF.
The approach ratio from the displaced threshold is 15:1.
24-hour credit card fuel service is available for both Jet-A and avgas.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 5 degrees left and 6 degrees right of centerline.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 6 degrees left of centerline.
Taxiway lights mark taxiway turnoff points only.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Thomas C Russell Field has five airfields within 30 NM. The closest is Willow Point, 6.75 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KALX
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KALX.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is fuel available at KALX outside of staffed hours?
Yes. Thomas C Russell Field offers 24-hour credit card service for both Jet-A and avgas, so fuel access does not depend on staffed hours. The field's listed attendance schedule runs Monday through Friday, 0800 to 1700, but the self-service fuel system operates independently of that schedule. Both 100LL and Jet-A are carried on site. This makes KALX usable for after-hours fuel stops even though staff presence is limited to weekday daytime hours.
What is the runway configuration at KALX?
Thomas C Russell Field has a single paved runway, 18/36, measuring 5,422 feet long and 96 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is also the airport's max paved runway length, meaning there is no longer alternative surface for larger aircraft. Runway lighting includes MIRL on 18/36 and pilot-activated REIL on runway 36, both controlled via CTAF since the field is non-towered. Taxiway lights are provided only to mark turnoff points rather than full taxiway edge lighting.
Does Thomas C Russell Field have customs clearance on site?
No, Thomas C Russell Field (KALX) does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is at KBHM, located approximately 55.59 nautical miles away. Aircraft arriving from international origins need to route through KBHM or another customs-equipped airport before or after stopping at KALX. Dispatchers planning international itineraries through KALX should factor in this distance when arranging customs clearance.
How does the PAPI system work on approach at KALX?
Thomas C Russell Field has PAPI guidance on its runway, but with defined usability limits on both approach directions. On one PAPI installation, the indication is unusable beyond 5 degrees left and 6 degrees right of centerline. A second PAPI at the field is unusable beyond 6 degrees left of centerline. Pilots flying into KALX should stay within these lateral limits to maintain reliable glidepath guidance, and the approach ratio from the displaced threshold is 15:1.
When is business aviation traffic highest at Alexander City, and who handles clearance delivery?
Business aviation traffic at Thomas C Russell Field, seen through FAA TFMSC crossborder data, peaks in November with 134 operations in 2025, alongside other elevated months in the June-to-August range. For clearance delivery, pilots should contact Montgomery Approach; if the approach facility is closed, clearance delivery routes through Atlanta ARTCC instead. This dual arrangement matters for flight planning since KALX is a non-towered field without its own ATC clearance delivery frequency.