El Paso International (KELP), Texas
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
El Paso International Airport, KELP, sits in far west Texas near the New Mexico and Chihuahua borders, sharing airspace with Biggs Army Airfield just north of the field and lying roughly 10.6 nautical miles from Ciudad Juárez's Abraham González International Airport across the international boundary. The airport is towered, operates around the clock, and handled 68,483 total operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 15,812 of those movements. Its runway system, topped by a 12,020-foot main strip, combined with onsite CBP inspection services and a USDA compliance agreement, supports a mix of civil, military, and cross-border traffic uncommon at airports of this size.
Runways
El Paso International has three paved runways. The longest, 04/22, is 12,020 ft long and 150 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
El Paso International has Jet A1+ and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
El Paso International has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
El Paso International recorded 15,812 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in January, February, March and December.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month March, 1,565 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
El Paso International averages 27.5 days above 90°F in July, 14.5 freeze days in January and 0.4 snow days in December. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 97.1°F, and December the coldest, at 57.8°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
El Paso International has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, noise procedures, pavement strength and other notes.
Prior permission required 24 hours in advance for Class A explosives; contact the airport for coordination.
ILS markings on the terminal ramp apply to Runway 8R/26L approaches and departures.
Runway 08L/26R is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 9 passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 30 passenger seats.
Runway 04/22 consists of 206 feet of concrete, 10,814 feet of asphalt, and 1,000 feet of concrete.
Runway 08R/26L consists of 7,780 feet of asphalt and 1,247 feet of concrete.
Caution: Biggs Army Airfield, 2 nautical miles northwest, has a runway 22 that can be mistaken for El Paso International's runway 22.
Runway 4 holding position markings are located adjacent to the terminal apron on Taxiways T1 and T2.
Military users should review the noise abatement procedures listed for Biggs Army Airfield.
Noise abatement procedures are in effect; contact the air traffic control tower for details.
PCR VALUE: 680/F/B/X/T
PCR VALUE: 100/R/C/W/T
PCR VALUE: 520/F/B/X/T
For fuel at the military ramp, contact the fixed base operator on frequency 122.95.
Taxiway T1, the portion of Taxiway A northeast of Taxiway A7, and Taxiways A8 and A9 are not visible from the airport traffic control tower.
Engine power is restricted to idle on one engine at a time, for a maximum of 5 minutes, on any terminal or parking apron, for cross-bleed starts or other pre-departure activity on movement areas only; for maintenance or other requirements needing longer or higher power, contact the tower for directions to designated runup areas.
Aircraft on the terminal ramp must contact El Paso Ground for pushback and taxi instructions.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
El Paso International has five airfields within 21 NM. The closest is Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) (KBIF), 2.54 NM north.
Part of the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KELP
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 KELP.
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 lengths are available at KELP for business aviation operations?
El Paso International Airport, KELP, offers three paved runways for arriving and departing traffic. Runway 04/22 is the longest at 12,020 feet, with a width of 150 feet and an asphalt-concrete surface. Runway 08R/26L measures 9,025 feet long and 150 feet wide, also asphalt-concrete. Runway 08L/26R is the shortest at 5,499 feet, 75 feet wide, with a concrete surface, and carries restrictions on scheduled and non-scheduled passenger operations above certain seat thresholds. Dispatchers planning heavier aircraft typically favor 04/22 given its length and pavement strength ratings.
Does KELP have customs and CBP services onsite?
KELP, El Paso International Airport, provides CBP inspection services onsite along with a USDA compliance agreement. This combination supports international arrivals requiring both customs clearance and agricultural inspection at the same location. The airport is towered and operates on an all-day, every-day attendance schedule, which supports consistent availability of airfield services. Operators planning cross-border flights into El Paso can coordinate customs processing directly at the field rather than diverting to a nearby facility. Confirm specific procedures with CBP given the mixed civil and military operating environment at this airport.
What fuel types are available at El Paso International Airport?
El Paso International Airport, KELP, stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A-plus fuel for based and transient aircraft. Fuel at the military ramp specifically requires contacting the fixed base operator on frequency 122.95 rather than assuming standard ramp fueling procedures apply. This distinction matters for operators planning to park or refuel on the military side of the field. General aviation and business aircraft using the civil ramp should coordinate fueling through standard airport channels. Dispatchers should verify ramp assignment before fuel planning, since military ramp access follows a different fueling contact process.
Are there any noise abatement or engine power restrictions at KELP?
Noise abatement procedures are in effect at El Paso International Airport, and pilots should contact the tower for specific details before operating. Military users are additionally directed to review noise abatement procedures published for Biggs Army Airfield, located nearby. Separately, engine power on terminal and parking aprons is restricted to idle on one engine at a time, limited to five minutes, for cross-bleed starts or other pre-departure activity. Any maintenance or other requirement needing longer or higher power must contact the tower for directions to designated runup areas. These restrictions apply specifically to movement areas versus designated runup zones at KELP.
What should pilots know about Biggs Army Airfield's proximity to KELP?
Biggs Army Airfield sits approximately 2.5 nautical miles north-northwest of El Paso International Airport, close enough that pilots have mistaken its runway 22 for KELP's own runway 22. This proximity is flagged as a specific caution in airport remarks given the shared runway designation. Additionally, several taxiways at KELP, including portions of Taxiway A near A7, A8, and A9, along with Taxiway T1, are not visible from the airport traffic control tower. Pilots operating in this area should maintain heightened positional awareness and confirm identification with air traffic control. This is particularly relevant for aircraft transiting between the civil and military portions of the airfield complex.