Colstrip Airport (M46), Montana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Colstrip Airport (M46) is a public-use, non-towered field in southeastern Montana at 3,428 feet elevation, serving Colstrip on an on-call attendance basis. It offers a single paved runway suitable for light business aircraft and sits well away from customs facilities, with the nearest customs airport of entry at KCPR, roughly 177 nautical miles away. Traffic is light, consistent with a level-two field, and dispatchers should plan around the unattended schedule and terrain features noted for the approach to Runway 24.
Runways
Colstrip Airport has one paved runway, 06/24, 5,100 ft long and 75 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
Colstrip Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Casper / Natrona County International (KCPR), 177 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Colstrip Airport recorded 29 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at M46 is concentrated in the spring and fall months, with September and May showing the highest activity in the 2025 FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 7 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Colstrip Airport averages 10.3 days above 90°F in July, 29.4 freeze days in December and 4.1 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85.0°F, and January the coldest, at 35.8°F.
Weather station is 4.0 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Colstrip Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
A hill is located 1,550 feet from the Runway 24 end, 600 feet left of centerline, rising 93 feet above the runway threshold.
PAPI for Runway 06 and Runway 24 is activated via CTAF. MIRL for Runway 06/24 is preset to low intensity from dusk until 0100; after 0100, activation is via CTAF.
Power plant stacks 700 feet tall stand 4.5 nautical miles northeast of the airport.
A phone is available on the airport.
This is a cold temperature airport. Altitude correction is required at or below -34C.
For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Colstrip Airport has three airfields within 49 NM. The closest is Tillitt Field, 25.37 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at M46
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 M46.
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 is available at Colstrip Airport (M46)?
Colstrip Airport (M46) has one paved runway, designated 06/24, measuring 5,100 feet long and 75 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the only runway serving the field, and it matches the airport's maximum paved runway length on record. There is no parallel or crosswind runway option at this location.
Is fuel available at M46?
The data on file for Colstrip Airport (M46) does not confirm fuel type availability at this field. Pilots planning a stop here should verify fuel status directly before arrival, particularly given the on-call attendance schedule. The airport is non-towered and does not maintain continuous staffing.
How does Colstrip Airport handle customs for international arrivals?
Colstrip Airport (M46) has no onsite customs service. The nearest customs airport of entry is KCPR, located approximately 177 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance must route through that facility or another designated port of entry before or after a stop at M46.
What terrain or obstacle considerations apply near M46?
Colstrip Airport (M46) has a hill located 1,550 feet from the Runway 24 end, positioned 600 feet left of centerline and rising 93 feet above the runway threshold. Additionally, 700-foot power plant stacks stand 4.5 nautical miles northeast of the airport. Both features are relevant to approach and departure planning at this non-towered field.