Artesia Municipal (KATS), New Mexico
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Artesia Municipal Airport (KATS) sits in southeastern New Mexico at 3,544 feet elevation, serving general and business aviation traffic in the area around Artesia. The field is non-towered and offers two paved asphalt runways, with the longer at 6,800 feet, along with both 100LL and Jet A fuel during published attendance hours. Customs clearance is not available on site, with the nearest option at Roswell some 27 nautical miles away.
Runways
Artesia Municipal has two paved runways. The longest, 04/22, is 6,800 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Artesia Municipal has Jet A1 and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Artesia Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Roswell Air Center (KROW), 27 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Artesia Municipal recorded 1,010 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and September. Business aviation traffic at KATS is concentrated in the late spring through early fall months, peaking in September and June, with the quietest activity in January and August.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 104 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Artesia Municipal averages 26.9 days above 90°F in July, 27.3 freeze days in January and 0.6 snow days in December. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 95.2°F, and December the coldest, at 57.1°F.
Weather station is 7.2 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Artesia Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
PAPI is pilot-activated on runways 04, 13, 22, and 31. Medium intensity runway lighting (MIRL) is available on runways 04/22 and 13/31, controlled via CTAF.
The obstruction clearance slope is 50:1 to the displaced threshold.
For clearance delivery, contact Albuquerque ARTCC.
After-hours fuel and emergency repair are available through the airport manager. After-hours fuel requires prior arrangement and a callout fee.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Artesia Municipal has two airfields within 33 NM. The closest is Roswell Air Center (KROW), 27.07 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KATS
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 KATS.
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
What runways are available at KATS?
Artesia Municipal Airport, identifier KATS, operates two paved asphalt runways. Runway 04/22 is the longer of the pair at 6,800 feet by 150 feet, and it also carries the airport's maximum paved length figure. Runway 13/31 measures 6,132 feet by 100 feet. Both surfaces are asphalt, and pilot-activated PAPI is available on all four runway ends. Medium intensity runway edge lighting covers both runways, controlled through CTAF since the field is non-towered.
Is there a control tower at KATS?
Artesia Municipal Airport, KATS, is a non-towered facility. All lighting, including PAPI on runways 04, 13, 22, and 31 and MIRL on both runway pairs, is pilot-activated through CTAF. Clearance delivery for departures is not handled locally; pilots needing a clearance should contact Albuquerque ARTCC. The airport publishes an attendance schedule of 0700 to 1700 daily, outside of which after-hours fuel and emergency repair services require prior arrangement through the airport manager and a callout fee.
What fuel is available at Artesia Municipal Airport?
Artesia Municipal Airport, KATS, stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A. Fuel service follows the published attendance schedule of 0700 to 1700, seven days a week. Outside those hours, fuel and emergency repair can still be arranged through the airport manager, but this requires prior coordination and carries a callout fee. Dispatchers planning arrivals outside the standard window should build in time for that callout arrangement rather than expecting walk-up service.
Does KATS have customs clearance on site?
Artesia Municipal Airport does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is Roswell, at KROW, located approximately 27.07 nautical miles from KATS. Flights requiring a customs stop should plan to route through Roswell Air Center rather than clearing directly at Artesia. This distance is short enough that it adds minimal routing burden for operators already transiting the southeastern New Mexico area.
How much business aviation traffic does Artesia Municipal Airport see, and does it vary by season?
Artesia Municipal Airport, KATS, logged 1,010 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 1,449 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data. Traffic is concentrated in certain months, with September posting the highest count at 104 operations and June close behind at 101. The slowest months were January at 61 and August at 67. Operators can expect moderately higher activity in late spring through early fall compared with the winter months.