Childress Municipal (KCDS), Texas
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Childress Municipal Airport, KCDS, is a non-towered public-use field in Childress, Texas, sitting at 1,954 feet elevation and situated roughly 44 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. The field handles a modest volume of business aviation traffic, most of it concentrated in the fall and early winter months, and offers both piston and jet fuel on a largely self-service basis outside posted hours.
Runways
Childress Municipal has two paved runways. The longest, 18/36, is 5,949 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Childress Municipal has Jet A1+ and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 4pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Childress Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Rick Husband Amarillo International (KAMA), 84 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Childress Municipal recorded 567 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in November. Business aviation traffic at KCDS is concentrated in the October through December period, led by a peak of 97 operations in November.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month November, 97 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Childress Municipal averages 27.0 days above 90°F in July, 21.5 freeze days in January and 0.5 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 95.9°F, and January the coldest, at 54.6°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Childress Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Medium intensity runway lighting on runway 18/36 is preset to low intensity; activate CTAF to increase intensity.
Nonstandard medium intensity runway lighting: the runway 36 threshold lights are located 60 feet south of the runway end.
The runway is not maintained; loose gravel and vegetation are growing through the pavement.
24-hour self-service 100LL and Jet A+ are available. Full-service Jet A+ is available during operating hours, with after-hours service also noted.
Closed indefinitely.
Agricultural operations occur near all paved surfaces.
For clearance delivery, contact Fort Worth ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Childress Municipal has five airfields within 47 NM. The closest is Memphis Municipal, 21.91 NM northwest.
Part of the North Texas and the Panhandle area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KCDS
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 KCDS.
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 does KCDS have, and are both usable?
Childress Municipal, KCDS, has two paved asphalt runways. Runway 18/36 is the primary strip at 5,949 feet long and 75 feet wide. Runway 04/22 measures 4,425 feet long and 60 feet wide, but it is currently closed indefinitely per airfield remarks. Operators should plan around a single active runway until that closure is lifted. Surface condition reports also note loose gravel and vegetation growth on pavement, so current NOTAMs should be checked before arrival.
What fuel is available at Childress Municipal (KCDS)?
Childress Municipal, KCDS, stocks both 100LL and Jet A+. Self-service 100LL and Jet A+ are available on a 24-hour basis. Full-service Jet A+ is offered during posted operating hours, with after-hours service also noted in field remarks. The field's attendance schedule runs 0800 to 1600 daily. Dispatchers planning fuel stops outside that window should rely on the self-service option.
Is customs available at KCDS for international arrivals?
Childress Municipal, KCDS, has no onsite customs service; the airport record lists no customs type or onsite designation. The nearest customs facility is at KAMA, located 84.31 nautical miles away. Flights requiring a customs clearance into the United States at this location would need to route through that facility instead. Crews should confirm hours and procedures at KAMA directly, since no customs processing occurs at Childress Municipal itself.
How busy is Childress Municipal Airport, and when is traffic highest?
Childress Municipal, KCDS, recorded 699 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, with 567 of those classified as business aviation activity. Traffic is not evenly spread across the year; November is the busiest month with 97 business aviation operations, followed by October at 74 and December at 72. The quietest months are February and May, each with 27 operations. This concentration means transient ramp and fuel demand rises noticeably in the fourth quarter.
What lighting is available on Runway 18/36 at KCDS?
Runway 18/36 at Childress Municipal, KCDS, is equipped with medium intensity runway lighting, or MIRL, preset to low intensity. Pilots can increase the intensity by activating the system over CTAF. Field remarks also note a nonstandard threshold light configuration on runway 36, with the threshold lights positioned 60 feet south of the runway end. Crews unfamiliar with the field should account for this offset when assessing visual references on approach or landing.