Chinle Municipal (E91), Arizona
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Chinle Municipal (E91) is a public-use, non-towered airport in northeastern Arizona serving the Chinle area at 5,550 feet elevation. The field offers a single long asphalt runway suitable for a range of business aircraft, though it operates unattended with no on-field services or customs clearance. Operators routing through the Navajo Nation region rely on E91 as a general aviation access point, with the nearest customs facility well over 150 nautical miles away in Albuquerque.
Runways
Chinle Municipal has one paved runway, 18/36, 6,902 ft long and 60 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Chinle Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ), 159 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Chinle Municipal recorded 722 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May. Business aviation traffic at Chinle Muni (E91) is somewhat concentrated in spring, with May recording the highest monthly volume and a clear falloff by late autumn.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 84 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Chinle Municipal averages 25.6 days above 90°F in July, 28.0 freeze days in January and 0.5 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92.9°F, and December the coldest, at 43.3°F.
Weather station is 3.2 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Chinle Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
The PAPI for runway 36 is pilot-activated, and medium intensity runway lighting for runway 18/36 is controlled via CTAF.
For clearance delivery, contact Denver ARTCC.
The parking apron has large cracks and loose aggregate.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Chinle Municipal has three airfields within 49 NM. The closest is Window Rock (KRQE), 36.94 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at E91
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 E91.
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 is the runway length at Chinle Municipal (E91)?
Chinle Municipal, identified as E91, has a single paved runway, 18/36, measuring 6,902 feet long and 60 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length accommodates most business jet types operating into the field. The airport sits at 5,550 feet elevation, which reduces available performance margins on warmer days. Dispatchers should factor density altitude into runway analysis, particularly in the summer months when afternoon temperatures climb well above 80°F. There is no parallel or crosswind runway, so 18/36 handles all traffic regardless of wind direction.
Is Chinle Municipal (E91) a towered airport?
Chinle Municipal is non-towered and operates as an uncontrolled field under CTAF procedures. The airport is also unattended, listed with an UNATNDD attendance schedule, meaning there is no on-field staff to assist arriving crews. Pilots self-announce on CTAF for traffic separation, and runway 18/36 is equipped with MIRL lighting activated through that same frequency. A PAPI is available for runway 36 to assist with vertical guidance on approach. Crews should coordinate clearance delivery through Denver ARTCC before departure, since no local tower or FBO handles that function.
Does Chinle Municipal (E91) have customs clearance available?
Chinle Municipal does not have customs services on site. The nearest customs-equipped airport is Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ), located approximately 158.5 nautical miles away. Flight crews requiring customs clearance near this region need to plan a stop at KABQ or another designated port of entry before or after operating at Chinle. This distance should be factored into routing and fuel planning for any international itinerary touching E91. No local customs infrastructure exists to shorten that diversion.
What kind of business aviation traffic does Chinle Municipal (E91) see?
Chinle Municipal recorded 722 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 1,514 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data. Monthly volumes ranged from a low of 36 operations in November to a peak of 84 in May, showing meaningful month-to-month variation. Traffic in the winter and early spring months generally stayed in the 60s, while a noticeable dip occurred in October and November. This pattern suggests operators should expect lighter field activity heading into late fall. E91 remains a modestly trafficked general aviation and business aviation field relative to major metro airports.
What ground condition issues should crews know about at Chinle Municipal (E91)?
Chinle Municipal has a documented pavement condition issue on its parking apron, which shows large cracks and loose aggregate according to field remarks. Crews taxiing or parking at E91 should be alert to this surface condition, particularly for aircraft with sensitive landing gear or engine intake placement. This is a known, reported hazard rather than a general caution, so ramp movement should be conducted at reduced speed. The single runway itself, 18/36, is asphalt and 6,902 feet long, separate from the apron issue. No other pavement condition remarks were noted for the runway surface.