Raleigh County Memorial Airport (KBKW), West Virginia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Raleigh County Memorial Airport, identifier KBKW, sits in Beckley, West Virginia, at an elevation of 2,504 feet and serves as a non-towered public-use field for the region. The airport handles a meaningful volume of business aviation traffic relative to its size, with two paved runways capable of accommodating a range of turbine aircraft. Its longer runway, 01/19, spans 6,750 feet, making it the field's primary asset for larger business jets operating in and out of southern West Virginia.
Runways
Raleigh County Memorial Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 01/19, is 6,750 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
Raleigh County Memorial Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Raleigh County Memorial Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is West Virginia International Yeager (KCRW), 42 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Raleigh County Memorial Airport recorded 2,329 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August and October. Business aviation traffic at KBKW is concentrated in the late spring through fall months, with August, October, and May marking the highest volumes of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 232 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Raleigh County Memorial Airport averages 0.6 days above 90°F in July, 23.9 freeze days in January and 4.6 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80.7°F, and January the coldest, at 40.5°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Raleigh County Memorial Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, construction and pavement strength.
A 9-foot lighted pole obstruction is located 125 feet from the approach end of the runway, offset 250 feet to the right.
MALSR is activated for runway 19. REIL is available on runways 01, 10, and 28. VASI serves runways 10 and 28. MIRL is installed on runway 10/28, and HIRL on runway 01/19. Taxiway lights operate on CTAF. PAPI on runways 01 and 19 is set at medium intensity; contact UNICOM to change the intensity.
Deer, birds, and wild turkeys are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
All surfaces are undergoing work in progress. Grass cutting occurs from April through October.
PCR VALUE: 740/F/B/X/T
PCR VALUE: 160/F/B/X/T
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Raleigh County Memorial Airport has five airfields within 48 NM. The closest is Mercer County (KBLF), 29.77 NM south.
Part of the West Virginia area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KBKW
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 KBKW.
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 KBKW?
Raleigh County Memorial Airport, identifier KBKW, operates two paved asphalt runways. Runway 01/19 is the longer strip at 6,750 feet and 150 feet wide, serving as the primary runway for business aviation traffic. Runway 10/28 measures 5,001 feet by 100 feet. Both runways support jet traffic, and the airport is non-towered with an ALL / ALL / ALL attendance schedule. Approach lighting includes MALSR on runway 19 and REIL on runways 01, 10, and 28.
Is fuel available at KBKW?
Raleigh County Memorial Airport carries both 100LL and Jet A fuel on the field. The airport reports jet fuel availability directly rather than it being inferred from traffic patterns. KBKW sees a substantial share of business aviation activity, with 2,329 of its 5,538 annual operations attributed to bizav traffic in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data. This level of activity supports consistent fuel service for turbine and piston aircraft alike. Pilots should confirm current fuel status directly with the field given its non-towered status.
Does Raleigh County Memorial Airport have onsite customs clearance?
Raleigh County Memorial Airport does not have customs clearance onsite. The nearest customs facility is at Yeager Airport, identifier KCRW, located approximately 41.71 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs processing for international arrivals into KBKW need to plan a stop at that facility or coordinate clearance accordingly. This distance is a meaningful planning factor for flights originating outside the United States. Dispatchers should build this routing requirement into any cross-border itinerary involving Beckley.
What obstacles or wildlife hazards should pilots know about at KBKW?
Raleigh County Memorial Airport reports deer, birds, and wild turkeys both on the airport and in the vicinity, a standing wildlife hazard for arriving and departing aircraft. Separately, a lighted pole obstruction 9 feet tall sits 125 feet from the approach end of the runway, offset 250 feet to the right. Pilots operating at KBKW should factor both hazards into approach and departure planning, particularly during low-visibility or night operations. The lighted obstruction reduces margin near the runway threshold, while wildlife activity is a persistent operational consideration.
When does KBKW see the most business aviation traffic?
Business aviation traffic at Raleigh County Memorial Airport concentrates in the warmer months of the year. August recorded the highest monthly total in 2025 with 232 operations, followed closely by October at 227 and May at 213. Winter months are noticeably quieter, with January at 146 operations and February at 157 marking the lowest points in the annual cycle. This seasonal pattern at KBKW aligns with typical general aviation activity trends in the region. Dispatchers scheduling flights into Beckley should anticipate higher volumes during the late spring through fall period.