Columbia Airport (O22), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Columbia Airport (COA / O22) sits at 2121 feet elevation in Columbia, California, serving general aviation and business traffic in the Sierra Nevada foothills region. The field operates without a control tower and supports both 100LL and Jet A fuel during its published attendance hours. During fire season the airport also hosts CALFIRE air tanker operations, a use that shapes traffic patterns alongside routine business aviation activity. Nearby airports include Groveland / Yosemite and Eagle Ridge Ranch, both within roughly 18 nautical miles.
Runways
Columbia Airport has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 17/35, is 4,673 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Columbia Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Columbia Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Mc Clellan Airfield (KMCC), 60 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Columbia Airport recorded 513 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in December. Business aviation traffic at Columbia Airport concentrates toward the end and start of the year, with December and April showing the highest monthly operations counts.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month December, 70 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Columbia Airport averages 27.8 days above 90°F in July and 5.1 freeze days in December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 97.1°F, and January the coldest, at 57.3°F.
Weather station is 3.7 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Columbia Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes and other notes.
For clearance delivery, contact NorCal Approach.
A landing fee applies to all commercial operators regardless of size, and to corporate aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross landing weight.
MIRL on Runway 17/35 and REIL on Runways 17 and 35 are activated via CTAF. VASI on Runway 17 and Runway 35 operate continuously.
Runway end safety areas are non-standard length: Runway 17 has 210 feet, and Runway 35 has 300 feet.
The Runway 35 VASI is unusable beyond 5 degrees left and right of the runway centerline.
The approach ratio from the displaced threshold is 31:1.
The approach ratio from the displaced threshold is 37:1.
Varying wind direction and velocity may be encountered at the midpoint of Runway 17/35 due to terrain features and wind flow patterns.
Departures from Runway 11 are prohibited due to conflict with the main runway.
The turf taxiway on the north side of Runway 11/29 is not recommended for use from November through March.
Runway 29 is not recommended for use during winter months, November through March.
All jet aircraft are requested to land on Runway 35 and depart on Runway 17, wind and weather permitting.
CALFIRE air tanker operations are conducted from the airport during fire season.
The helicopter parking area measures 300 feet by 120 feet, with 4 positions.
Flights should avoid overflying Columbia State Park northeast of the airport, and the Highway 49 bridge 5 nautical miles southwest of the airport and its vicinity.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Columbia Airport has five airfields within 38 NM. The closest is Groveland / Yosemite, 15.08 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at O22
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 O22.
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
Does Columbia Airport (O22) have on-field customs service?
Columbia Airport does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is KMcClellan Airfield (KMCC), located about 60 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from abroad should plan a stop at KMCC or another customs airport before continuing to Columbia. This distance should factor into routing and fuel planning for international arrivals.
What runway options are available at O22 Columbia Airport?
O22 Columbia Airport has one paved runway, 17/35, measuring 4673 feet by 75 feet with an asphalt surface. A second runway, 11/29, is a 2607-foot by 50-foot turf strip. Departures from Runway 11 are prohibited due to conflict with the main runway, and jet aircraft are requested to land on Runway 35 and depart Runway 17, wind and weather permitting.
Is jet fuel available at Columbia Airport (COA / O22)?
Yes, Columbia Airport offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel, per airport data. Fuel service operates during the published attendance schedule, daily from 0800 to 1700 local time. Note that a landing fee applies to all commercial operators regardless of size, and to corporate aircraft exceeding 12,500 pounds gross landing weight.
What seasonal restrictions affect the turf runway at O22?
At O22 Columbia Airport, the turf taxiway on the north side of Runway 11/29 is not recommended for use from November through March. Runway 29 itself is also not recommended for use during those same winter months. Pilots planning operations on the turf runway system should account for these seasonal limitations when scheduling flights into the airport.