Columbus Municipal (KOLU), Nebraska
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Columbus Municipal (KOLU) is a public-use, non-towered airport serving Columbus, Nebraska, at an elevation of 1,447 feet. The field offers a 6,801-foot paved runway alongside a shorter turf strip, and fuel service covers both 100LL and Jet A. Business aviation activity, as tracked by the FAA TFMSC, accounted for 824 of the airport's 1,079 total annual operations in 2025, making KOLU a meaningful stop for turbine and piston traffic in the region.
Runways
Columbus Municipal has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 14/32, is 6,801 ft long and 100 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 no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Columbus Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Eppley Airfield (KOMA), 66 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Columbus Municipal recorded 824 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at KOLU is concentrated in the summer months, with July, August, and September posting the highest monthly operations of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 102 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Columbus Municipal averages 12.0 days above 90°F in July, 30.5 freeze days in January and 2.3 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.9°F, and January the coldest, at 32.3°F.
Weather station is on 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 three categories: runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Runway lighting for runway 14/32 is pilot-activated, including MIRL, PAPI on runway 14, VASI on runway 32, REIL on runway 32, and MALSR on runway 14, via CTAF.
Runway 02/20 is not plowed during winter months.
Runway 32 has an obstruction clearance slope of 37:1 to the displaced threshold.
Runway 32 is designated as the calm wind runway.
Deer are present in the vicinity of the airport.
For fuel after hours, contact is required.
Boundary markers are present, coded G.
Waterfowl are present in the vicinity of the airport.
For clearance delivery, if unable to contact on the FSS frequency, contact Minneapolis ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Columbus Municipal has five airfields within 37 NM. The closest is Norfolk Regional / Karl Stefan Memorial Field (KOFK), 32.50 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KOLU
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 KOLU.
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 primary runway at KOLU and what surface is it?
Columbus Municipal's primary runway is 14/32, a concrete surface measuring 6,801 feet long and 100 feet wide. This is the airport's only paved runway and handles the bulk of business aviation traffic. A secondary runway, 02/20, is 4,135 feet of turf and 150 feet wide, but it is not plowed during winter months. Runway 32 is designated as the calm wind runway. Pilots planning winter operations at KOLU should expect runway 02/20 to be unavailable when snow is present.
Is fuel available at Columbus Municipal after hours?
Columbus Municipal stocks both 100LL and Jet A fuel, with the attendance schedule listed as all days, all hours, during daylight. For fuel needed after normal hours, the field's remarks direct pilots to make contact rather than expect self-service availability. KOLU's fuel offering covers both piston and turbine aircraft, which supports the airport's business aviation traffic. Dispatchers should plan ahead if an after-hours fuel need is anticipated, since coordination is required rather than automatic access.
Does KOLU have on-site customs clearance for international arrivals?
Columbus Municipal does not have customs clearance on site. The nearest customs facility is at KOMA, located approximately 65.77 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs processing near KOLU need to route through that facility rather than clearing directly at Columbus. This distance is a planning factor for any international itinerary touching Columbus Municipal, since a stop or coordination at KOMA becomes a necessary part of the routing.
What wildlife hazards are noted at Columbus Municipal?
Columbus Municipal's remarks flag two wildlife hazards in the vicinity of the airport: waterfowl and deer. Both are noted as general remarks without further detail on frequency or specific locations on the field. Pilots operating at KOLU, particularly during approach and departure phases, should maintain awareness of these hazards. No seasonal pattern or specific runway association is given for either hazard in the airport's remarks.
When is business aviation traffic at Columbus Municipal highest?
Business aviation traffic at Columbus Municipal, tracked by the FAA TFMSC for 2025, peaks in the summer months. July recorded 102 operations, the highest of any month, followed by August at 95 and September at 88. The lowest months are November and December, each under 50 operations. This pattern shows a clear seasonal concentration at KOLU, with roughly double the traffic in the summer peak compared to the winter low.