Columbus Municipal (KBAK), Indiana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Columbus Municipal Airport (KBAK), serving Columbus, Indiana, is a towered Part 139-class field with two paved concrete runways, the longer stretching 6,401 feet. The airport supports business aviation traffic year-round with both 100LL and Jet A available, and it sits roughly 33 nautical miles from the nearest customs facility at Indianapolis International. FAA TFMSC data logged 4,411 total annual operations in 2025, with 2,638 attributed to business aviation.
Runways
Columbus Municipal has two paved runways. The longest, 05/23, is 6,401 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Columbus Municipal has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Columbus Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Indianapolis International (KIND), 33 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Columbus Municipal recorded 2,638 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May and October. Business aviation traffic at KBAK builds through spring and peaks in May, with September and October also running above the annual average before tapering into winter.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 283 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is 3.1 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Columbus Municipal has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Runway 05/23 is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than nine passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than thirty passenger seats. Unscheduled air carrier operations exceeding thirty passenger seats require prior permission from the airport manager, valid for ninety days; contact the airport manager to arrange. Military markings are commissioned.
Runway 14/32 is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than nine passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than thirty passenger seats. Unscheduled air carrier operations exceeding thirty passenger seats require prior permission from the airport manager, valid for ninety days; contact the airport manager to arrange.
When the airport traffic control tower is closed, pilots activate MALSR for Runway 23, REIL for Runways 05, 14, and 32, HIRL for Runway 05/23, and MIRL for Runway 14/32 via CTAF. PAPI systems for Runways 05, 14, 23, and 32 remain on continuously.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport, with heavy activity noted during August and September.
PCR VALUE: 320/R/A/W/T
PCR VALUE: 300/R/A/W/T
Fuel-related ground services are not staffed between 1700 and 0600 local time.
Aircraft services are coordinated through UNICOM.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Columbus Municipal has five airfields within 21 NM. The closest is Himsel Aaf (KHBE), 7.75 NM northwest.
Part of the Indianapolis area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KBAK
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 KBAK.
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 KBAK?
Columbus Municipal Airport has two paved concrete runways. Runway 05/23 is the longer of the two at 6,401 feet long and 150 feet wide. Runway 14/32 measures 5,000 feet long and 100 feet wide. Both runways are concrete surfaces suitable for a range of business aircraft. Neither runway is available for scheduled Part 121 or Part 380 passenger operations exceeding nine passenger seats, or non-scheduled operations exceeding thirty passenger seats.
Is fuel available at KBAK?
Yes, Columbus Municipal Airport stocks both 100LL and Jet A fuel, listed in airport data as A+ grade. Aircraft services are handled through UNICOM rather than a staffed FBO frequency, so pilots should expect to coordinate fuel and ramp needs directly over that channel. The airport operates under a towered schedule, with air traffic control active during listed hours and CTAF procedures applying when the tower is closed. No confirmed fuel delivery timeframes are part of the airport's published data.
Does KBAK have customs clearance on site?
Columbus Municipal Airport does not have customs processing on site. The nearest customs-equipped airport is Indianapolis International (KIND), located approximately 33 nautical miles away. Operators arriving internationally need to plan a stop at KIND or another customs-designated airport before or after using KBAK. This distance should factor into fuel planning and routing for any flight requiring a federal inspection stop.
Are there restrictions on large passenger charter operations at KBAK?
Yes, both runways at Columbus Municipal Airport carry restrictions on large passenger-carrying operations. Runway 05/23 and Runway 14/32 are each unavailable for scheduled Part 121 or Part 380 operations with more than nine passenger seats, and for non-scheduled operations with more than thirty passenger seats. Unscheduled air carrier operations exceeding thirty passenger seats require prior permission from the airport manager, valid for ninety days. Operators planning larger charter flights into KBAK should arrange this authorization well before the flight.</br>
What wildlife or operational hazards are noted at KBAK?
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of Columbus Municipal Airport, with heavy activity specifically noted during August and September. Pilots operating at KBAK during these months should anticipate increased bird activity in the traffic pattern and along runway approaches. Separately, fuel-related ground services, referenced as FICONS in airport remarks, are not staffed between 1700 and 0600 local. Crews planning late-night or early-morning arrivals should account for this gap in ground support coverage.