Fort Benton Airport (79S), Montana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Fort Benton (79S) is a small public-use airport in north-central Montana, logging under fifty business aviation operations a year according to FAA TFMSC data. The field is unattended and offers a single paved runway alongside a shorter dirt strip.
Runways
Fort Benton Airport has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 05/23, is 4,300 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Fort Benton Airport has 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Fort Benton Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Great Falls International (KGTF), 37 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Fort Benton Airport recorded 46 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at Fort Benton (79S) peaks in July, according to FAA TFMSC data, with the lowest activity recorded in March.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 8 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Fort Benton Airport averages 12.7 days above 90°F in July, 28.4 freeze days in December and 2.8 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.4°F, and January the coldest, at 34.6°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Fort Benton Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
PAPI for Runway 05 and 23, and MIRL for Runway 05/23, are pilot-activated on the CTAF.
For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake Center.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Fort Benton Airport has three airfields within 45 NM. The closest is Great Falls International (KGTF), 36.76 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at 79S
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.
$600.00 catering order at 79S.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
The $75 minimum applies below $862.50.
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 there customs clearance available at Fort Benton (79S)?
Fort Benton (79S) has no onsite customs service. The nearest customs point is Great Falls International (KGTF), located about 37 nautical miles away.
What fuel is available at 79S?
Fort Benton (79S) offers 100LL only, with no Jet A on the field. The airport is unattended, so fuel access depends on self-service arrangements rather than staffed hours.
What is the longest runway at Fort Benton Airport?
The longest runway at Fort Benton (79S) is Runway 05/23, a paved asphalt surface measuring 4,300 feet by 75 feet. A second runway, 14/32, is a shorter 1,700-foot dirt strip.