Elk River Airport (NC06), North Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Elk River Airport (NC06) is a privately used airport in Banner Elk, North Carolina, sitting at 3,468 feet elevation as part of a private recreational development complex. The single asphalt runway, 12/30, measures 4,600 feet by 75 feet, and traffic is attended daily from 0730 until dusk. Business aviation activity is light, with FAA TFMSC recording 137 bizav operations across 2025, and the field has no onsite customs; the nearest customs airport of entry is KTRI, about 31 nautical miles away.
Runways
Elk River Airport has one paved runway, 12/30, 4,600 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Elk River Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Tri-Cities (KTRI), 31 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Elk River Airport recorded 137 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Traffic at NC06 concentrates in the warmer months, with June through October accounting for the bulk of 2025 bizav operations and September the busiest month at 26 operations.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 26 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Elk River Airport averages 25.2 freeze days in January and 3.8 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76.9°F, and January the coldest, at 40.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Elk River Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
Approaches are non-standard. The first 500 feet of Runway 30 is on a 5% grade; use Runway 12 when wind conditions permit.
A tunnel underpass extends from the existing aircraft parking apron on the north side, underneath Runway 12/30, to the south side, providing access to a golf course.
Pavement condition: good.
The airport is an extended portion of a private recreational development complex.
There is a 23,000 square foot hangar area.
For clearance delivery, contact Atlanta ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Elk River Airport has five airfields within 29 NM. The closest is Johnson County, 15.84 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at NC06
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.
$1,200.00 catering order at NC06.
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 runway does NC06 have and are there any approach considerations?
Elk River Airport (NC06) has a single asphalt runway, 12/30, measuring 4,600 by 75 feet in good pavement condition. Approaches are non-standard: the first 500 feet of Runway 30 sits on a 5% grade, so pilots are advised to use Runway 12 when wind conditions permit. This grade consideration is worth noting for flight planning into Banner Elk.
Is customs clearance available directly at NC06?
NC06, also known as Elk River Airport, has no onsite customs service. The nearest customs airport of entry is KTRI, located approximately 31 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs clearance near Banner Elk should plan to route through KTRI rather than expecting service at the field itself.
When is Elk River Airport (NC06) staffed for operations?
Elk River Airport operates on an attendance schedule of 0730 until dusk, seven days a week. There is no operating tower at NC06, so arrivals and departures are handled as uncontrolled field operations within that daily window. Dispatchers should plan timing around the dusk cutoff given the field's mountain elevation of 3,468 feet.
What hangar and ground infrastructure does NC06 offer?
Elk River Airport includes a 23,000 square foot hangar area for aircraft storage. The field is an extended portion of a private recreational development complex, and a tunnel underpass runs from the aircraft parking apron on the north side beneath Runway 12/30 to the south side, providing access to an adjacent golf course. This layout reflects the airport's integration into the surrounding development at NC06.