Catalina Airport (KAVX), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
KAVX, also known as Catalina Airport, sits at 1,602 feet elevation on Santa Catalina Island off the Southern California coast. The field is a single-runway general aviation airport serving Avalon, with attendance limited to daytime hours only.
Runways
Catalina Airport has one paved runway, 04/22, 3,000 ft long and 75 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Fueling is available from 8am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Catalina Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is John Wayne / Orange County (KSNA), 32 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Catalina Airport recorded 318 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in April. Business aviation traffic at KAVX peaks in April, with volumes roughly three times higher than the January and February low months.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month April, 52 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Catalina Airport averages 4.5 days above 90°F in September. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 79.0°F, and February the coldest, at 60.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Catalina Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes and other notes.
For clearance delivery, contact SoCal Approach.
Runway 04/22 is limited by the airport operator to 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight.
Runway 22 REIL is pilot-activated via CTAF. Runway 22 PSIL operates during airport operating hours.
Pilots cannot see aircraft on opposite ends of the runway due to gradient; pilots must announce taking the active runway on UNICOM prior to departure.
Runway 04 final has a steep 2,300-foot section with a 2.1% downslope; Runway 22 is upslope and preferred for landing.
Runway 04/22 has non-standard runway safety areas.
Full-stop landings only; intersection takeoffs are prohibited.
Out of service indefinitely.
Airport operating hours are 0800-1700 local. Operations outside these hours are prohibited. No night operations.
Landing fee applies.
Radio must be on frequency whenever the engine is running.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Catalina Airport has five airfields within 32 NM. The closest is Zamperini Field (KTOA), 24.22 NM north.
Part of the Los Angeles area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KAVX
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.
$600.00 catering order at KAVX.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
The $75 minimum applies below $862.50.
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 are the operating hours at KAVX?
Catalina Airport (KAVX) operates daily from 0800 to 1700 local time, with no night operations permitted. Flights outside this window are prohibited, so arrival and departure planning must stay within the published attendance schedule.
Is there a weight limit for aircraft using KAVX?
Yes, Runway 04/22 at Catalina Airport is limited by the airport operator to 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight. This restriction applies to the single paved runway, which is 3,000 feet long and 75 feet wide.
What runway conditions should pilots expect at KAVX?
Catalina Airport's Runway 04/22 has a pronounced gradient: the Runway 04 final features a steep 2,300-foot section with a 2.1% downslope, while Runway 22 is upslope and preferred for landing. Full-stop landings only are required, and intersection takeoffs are prohibited.