Columbus AFB Airport (KCBM), Mississippi
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Columbus AFB (KCBM) is a towered, private-use military airfield near Columbus, Mississippi, operated as an undergraduate pilot training base for the US Air Force. The field sits at 218 feet elevation and handles a mix of student training sorties and transient military traffic across three paved runways, the longest stretching 12,004 feet. As a Department of Defense facility, KCBM does not offer onsite customs processing; the nearest customs airport is KBHM, roughly 85 nautical miles away.
Runways
Columbus AFB Airport has three paved runways. The longest, 13C/31C, is 12,004 ft long and 300 ft wide, with an asphalt and 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 AFB Airport has A++ available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Columbus AFB Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (KBHM), 85 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Columbus AFB Airport recorded 4,654 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and July. Business aviation traffic at KCBM concentrates in the spring and summer months, peaking in July and falling off sharply by December, consistent with the base's student flying training cycle.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 551 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is 4.3 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Columbus AFB Airport has published operating constraints in seven categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, emergency arresting systems, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
All fixed-wing aircraft should plan to arrive, terminate, and depart in accordance with IFR unless prior permission is granted for a VFR flight plan.
Simulated flame-out approaches are not authorized.
Restricted: prior permission required; only four aircraft per hour during student training operations. Overhead approaches are not authorized during student training operations. Runway 13R/31L is for local use only during student training operations. All transient aircrews must check in with base operations. Expect radar vectors for full-stop landings during student training operations. Altitude is restricted for VMC departing aircraft.
No parking is available for aircraft exceeding 100,000 pounds gross weight, except for aeromedical evacuation aircraft.
Center 200 feet of the runway is grooved concrete; the outer 50-foot portions are asphalt.
The first 1,000 feet of runway 13L/31R is concrete, with the middle 6,000 feet asphalt.
Center 75 feet of the runway is grooved concrete; the outer portions are asphalt.
Expect precision full-stop landings on runway 13C/31C.
Miscellaneous: hangar space is limited and available April through December. The first 1,000 feet of runway 13L/31R is concrete, with the middle 6,000 feet asphalt. Runway 13R/31L is grooved concrete.
Caution: do not mistake the parallel taxiway to runway 13R/31L for the runway itself. Runway 13R/31L carries additional markings reserved for base-assigned T-38 emergency landings only. The runway 13R overrun is 1,000 feet of full-strength pavement, and the runway 31L overrun is 1,635 feet of full-strength pavement. Exercise caution when braking on wet pavement, as ponding conditions exist on the asphalt portions of all runways.
Aircraft not departing on an established departure procedure should expect to fly runway heading until reaching 10 DME or 4,000 feet MSL.
Caution: aircraft operating within the Runway Supervisory Unit (RSU) practice area are not Class C participants. RSU practice areas are defined in the FLIP AP/1 supplementary airport remarks.
Miscellaneous: the augmented weather observation view is limited, restricted from 140 to 320 degrees by flightline facilities and trees.
Miscellaneous: an automated AN/FMQ-19 ASOS operates continuously (H24), located near the glideslope for runway 13C/31C. An augmented and backed-up AN/FMQ-19 ASOS is in use when required during operating hours and for resource protection. Operating hours may vary with the local flying schedule.
Caution: both apron edges inside require 25 feet of clearance from the taxiway centerline. The T-1 ramp east of the control tower is located within the runway 31L clear zone. Numerous airfield signs fall outside distance and siting criteria. Aircraft operating within the Runway Supervisory Unit (RSU) practice area are not Class C participants. Potential transiting or diverting UAS operations may occur within the terminal area.
Caution: braking action may be less than expected, with reduced runway skid resistance and a high potential for hydroplaning on all runways when wet. Runway coefficient of friction is not reported. Use caution at the intersections of taxiways G and C, and J and C.
Caution: the runway 13R hold sign at taxiway A is not collocated with the pavement marking.
MA-1A arresting gear installed, chain and hook (111 feet overrun).
BAK-15 arresting gear installed, chain and hook (130 feet overrun).
Arresting gear: the MA-1A is continuously raised on the departure end of the center runway, and lowered and disconnected on the approach end. The BAK-15 on runway 13L/31R is uncertified and unserviceable, and is in use on Sunday only.
Noise abatement: quiet hours are observed daily from 0400 to 1200Z.
Caution: BASH Phase II bird activity is in effect for the migratory season from September through April. Peak activity occurs within one hour of sunrise and sunset; see AP/1 Chapter 3 for more information. Obtain current bird watch conditions on ATIS.
Expect a 30-minute landing delay during student training flying periods.
Caution: uncontrolled vehicle traffic operates on taxiways and ramps.
Fluid available: liquid oxygen (LOX).
Oil grades O-148 and O-156 available; SOAP analysis results are available Monday through Friday.
Miscellaneous: standard USAF weather reporting standards are applied. ATC personnel, in accordance with the Cooperative Weather Watch program, will alert personnel to any unreported weather conditions that could affect flight safety.
Miscellaneous: airfield operations does not have the ability to store COMSEC material. Contact the command post for COMSEC storage arrangements.
Command post frequency: 251.25.
Base weather service operates continuously (H24) except holidays; other times by NOTAM. Contact base weather.
Transient alert service: operates 1300-2300Z on weekdays; no transient service on Sunday without prior coordination; closed Saturday and holidays. Other times by NOTAM.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Columbus AFB Airport has five airfields within 24 NM. The closest is Columbus-Lowndes County (KUBS), 11.28 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KCBM
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 KCBM.
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
Is KCBM open to civilian traffic?
Columbus AFB (KCBM) is a private-use military airfield operated by the US Air Force, not open to general civilian traffic. All fixed-wing aircraft must plan to arrive, terminate, and depart under IFR unless prior permission is granted for a VFR flight plan. Transient aircrews are required to check in with base operations on arrival. Given the training mission at the field, expect coordination requirements well beyond a typical civil airport. Customs services are not available onsite; the nearest customs airport is KBHM, about 85 nautical miles away.
What runway does Columbus AFB use for precision approaches?
Columbus AFB expects precision full-stop landings on runway 13C/31C, the field's longest strip at 12,004 feet and 300 feet wide, surfaced in asphalt-concrete. This runway carries a center section of grooved concrete flanked by asphalt on the outer portions. Two other paved runways serve the field: 13L/31R at 8,001 by 150 feet, and 13R/31L at 6,320 by 175 feet. Pilots are cautioned not to mistake the parallel taxiway to 13R/31L for the runway itself, since that runway carries additional markings reserved for base-assigned T-38 emergency landings only.
Why does traffic at KCBM drop sharply in December?
Business aviation traffic at Columbus AFB (KCBM) is concentrated in the spring and summer months, with operations falling off sharply toward year-end; December 2025 recorded only 92 operations against a July peak of 551, according to FAA TFMSC data. This pattern tracks the base's student pilot training cycle rather than general aviation seasonality. Traffic climbs steadily from February through a mid-year plateau before declining again in the fall and winter. Dispatchers planning transient operations at KCBM should account for this uneven monthly distribution rather than assuming a flat annual pattern.
Are there arresting gear systems installed at Columbus AFB?
Columbus AFB maintains two aircraft arresting systems. An MA-1A chain-and-hook-gear-arresting device sits with a 111-foot overrun, and a BAK-15 barrier is positioned with a 130-foot overrun. Per the field's general remarks, the MA-1A is continuously raised on the departure end of the center runway and lowered and disconnected on the approach end. The BAK-15 on runway 13L/31R is noted as uncertified and unserviceable, and is only in use on Sunday. Aircrews should confirm current arresting gear status through base operations before relying on either system.
What restrictions apply during student training operations at KCBM?
During student training periods at Columbus AFB (KCBM), arrivals are limited to only four aircraft per hour and prior permission is required. Overhead approaches are not authorized while student training operations are underway, and runway 13R/31L is restricted to local use only during these periods. Pilots should also expect landing delays of up to 30 minutes during student flying periods. Transient aircrews must check in with base operations, and radar vectors to full-stop landings should be expected rather than visual patterns during these training windows.