Elkhart Municipal (KEKM), Indiana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Elkhart Municipal Airport (KEKM), also identified as EKI, serves the Elkhart, Indiana area with a towered field offering both 100LL and Jet A fuel. The airport's primary runway, a 6,500-foot concrete strip, positions it for business aviation traffic, which accounts for the large majority of its recorded operations. Nearest customs clearance is available at South Bend International, roughly 14 nautical miles away, since KEKM does not host onsite customs processing.
Runways
Elkhart Municipal has three paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 09/27, is 6,500 ft long and 120 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Elkhart Municipal has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 6am to 10pm, daily, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Elkhart Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is South Bend International (KSBN), 14 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Elkhart Municipal recorded 3,814 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at KEKM concentrates in the fall, with operations peaking in September and October well above the levels seen in the winter and early spring months.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 481 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Elkhart Municipal averages 4.5 snow days in January.
Weather station is 2.5 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Elkhart Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
The MALSR on Runway 27 is pilot-activated, along with the REIL on Runways 09, 18, and 36, the VASI on Runways 09 and 36, and the PAPI on Runways 18 and 27, all via CTAF. When the tower is closed, the HIRL on Runway 09/27 and the MIRL on Runway 18/36 default to preset low intensity, with higher intensity selectable via CTAF.
There is 7-foot-high brush on both the left and right sides of the runway centerline, 100 feet from the threshold.
The runway has white corner markers.
VFR operations are conducted only during tower operating hours.
The VASI is unusable 7 degrees to the left and right of centerline.
Taxiways are marked with reflectors. Taxiway A is unavailable to aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats.
For clearance delivery when the tower is closed, contact South Bend ATCT on frequency. When South Bend ATCT is also closed, contact Chicago ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Elkhart Municipal has five airfields within 22 NM. The closest is Jerry Tyler Memorial, 12.15 NM northwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KEKM
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 KEKM.
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 KEKM?
Elkhart Municipal Airport offers three runways for arriving and departing traffic. Runway 09/27 is the primary surface, a 6,500-foot concrete runway 120 feet wide, capable of handling most business jet traffic. Runway 18/36 is a shorter asphalt strip at 3,999 feet and 75 feet wide. A third runway, 08/26, is a 2,480-foot turf strip 250 feet wide, unpaved and suited to lighter aircraft. Dispatchers planning for larger equipment should default to Runway 09/27 given its length and paved surface.
Is fuel available at KEKM?
Elkhart Municipal Airport stocks both 100LL and Jet A fuel on the field. The airport operates on an attendance schedule of 0600 to 2200 local, seven days a week, which governs when fuel service and staffed operations are available. Outside those hours, crews should plan around reduced or unstaffed conditions. Jet A availability makes KEKM workable for turbine business aviation traffic, which the airport's operations data shows as the dominant user group. Confirming fuel status ahead of arrival is still advisable for time-sensitive trips.
How busy is Elkhart Municipal Airport, and does traffic vary by season?
Elkhart Municipal Airport recorded 4,266 annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with 3,814 of those classified as business aviation activity. Traffic is not flat across the year: monthly business aviation operations ranged from a low of 218 in April to a high of 481 in September. Volumes build through summer and peak in September and October before tapering into winter. Dispatchers scheduling around KEKM should expect denser traffic patterns in the fall months. The airport carries an ops tier 1 classification, reflecting its status as a well-documented, frequently used field.
Are there any obstructions or approach light limitations to know about at KEKM?
Elkhart Municipal Airport has a close-in obstruction noted near one runway threshold: brush measuring 7 feet high sits both left and right of centerline, 100 feet from the threshold. Separately, the VASI system is reported unusable 7 degrees left and right of centerline, which affects visual glideslope guidance outside that narrow window. Pilots relying on VASI guidance at KEKM should cross-check with other approach aids given this restriction. These are the specific approach-related notes on file for the field and should factor into approach planning.
What happens at KEKM when the control tower is closed?
Elkhart Municipal Airport is a towered field, but VFR operations are restricted to hours when the tower is staffed. When the tower is closed, runway edge lighting reverts to preset conditions: high intensity lighting on Runway 09/27 and medium intensity lighting on Runway 18/36 default to low intensity, with pilot-controlled step-up available on CTAF. Clearance delivery functions also shift during tower closure, routing through South Bend ATCT, and further to Chicago ARTCC if South Bend is also closed. Dispatchers should plan communications accordingly outside tower hours at KEKM.