Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport (KBIF), Texas
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss), identified by the ICAO code KBIF, is a towered military airfield serving Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas, at an elevation of 3,947 feet. The field is private-use, meaning access depends on prior permission rather than open scheduling, and it sits close enough to El Paso International that pilots are cautioned about runway confusion between the two fields. Its single concrete runway ranks among the longest in the area, and customs inspection services are available onsite alongside a USDA compliance agreement.
Runways
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport has one paved runway, 04/22, 13,554 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport has A++ available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport 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
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport recorded 1,533 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in April and October. Business aviation traffic at KBIF is concentrated toward the second half of the year, with October, April, and July posting the highest monthly counts against a low in January.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 153 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport 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 2.3 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport has published operating constraints in six categories: access, runway notes, emergency arresting systems, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
Restricted: prior permission is required for all aircraft, requested 24 hours in advance by contacting Airfield Operations. Tower and services are available to all aircraft with PPR. PPR time is valid plus or minus 1 hour. All aircraft must contact Airfield Operations via the published telephone number 30 minutes prior to arrival. Flight operations and transient alert service are unavailable before 1 hour prior to the scheduled PPR arrival time.
Service: fuel grade A+ available, truck refuel only, 1500-0700Z Monday through Sunday, with 1 hour prior notice required; an after-hours call-out fee of $100 applies.
Miscellaneous: approval is required for access to the ramp.
Lighting service: when unattended, activate the REIL for runway 04, the PAPI for runways 04 and 22, and the HIRL for runway 04/22, on frequency 127.9.
Caution: El Paso International's runway 22, 2 nautical miles southeast, can be mistaken for Biggs AAF's runway 22. Coyote hazard noted.
Bearing strength for runway 04/22: ST175 SBTT593 TRT585.
Arresting device: BAK-14 and BAK-12B(B) positioned at 1,500 feet.
Arresting device: BAK-14 and BAK-12B(B) positioned at 2,100 feet.
Noise abatement: VFR arrivals and departures to the west should use the mountain pass 15 nautical miles northwest of Biggs AAF. Avoid VFR overflight of the city. Fly at 1,500 feet AGL and maintain 1,500 feet horizontal distance from mountain dwellings.
William Beaumont Hospital helipad PCL frequency is 126.2.
Traffic pattern altitudes: fixed-wing aircraft at 5,000 feet, turboprops at 5,500 feet, rotary-wing aircraft at 4,500 feet, and jets at 6,000 feet.
See FLIP AP/1 supplementary airport remarks.
Miscellaneous: hangar space is extremely limited for transient aircraft.
Airfield Operations operates 1500-0700Z Monday through Sunday, except holidays.
Miscellaneous: KBIF automated observation and Biggs AAF USAF weather service are available 24/7, coordinated through the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB. Class D airspace is effective 1500-0700Z Monday through Sunday, except holidays; otherwise Class E applies. International garbage disposal capacity is limited and must be bagged prior to arrival.
Miscellaneous: international garbage disposal capacity is limited. Expect delays unless waste is placed in garbage bags prior to arrival.
Communications: PMSV on frequency 373.7.
Taxiway L, south of taxiway F, is designated for rotary-wing aircraft only.
Services: no de-icing available, no off-airfield transportation available for aircrew, and 24-hour notice is required for lavatory and water services.
Closed-circuit TV operations are in place. Transient civil and military inbound aircraft must contact Airfield Operations via the published telephone number at 60 nautical miles prior to landing.
Aircraft service and transient alert will not support local, round-robin, or out-and-back flights for transient aircraft.
There are no taxiway edge lights at the hot refuel area.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Biggs Aaf (fort Bliss) Airport has five airfields within 24 NM. The closest is El Paso International (KELP), 2.54 NM south.
Part of the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KBIF
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 KBIF.
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 KBIF open to civilian traffic?
Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss) is a private-use military airfield and is not open for unrestricted civilian access. All aircraft, civil or military, require prior permission before arrival, obtained through Airfield Operations at least 24 hours ahead. That approval carries a validity window of plus or minus one hour around the scheduled arrival time. Aircraft must also make radio contact with Airfield Operations 30 minutes before landing. Ramp access requires separate approval beyond the basic PPR.
What is the runway length at KBIF?
Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss) has a single runway, 04/22, built to 13,554 feet long and 150 feet wide with a concrete surface. This makes it one of the longer paved runways in the region, exceeding the maximum paved length listed for the airport overall. Bearing strength data for runway 04/22 is published as ST175 SBTT593 TRT585. Two arresting systems are also installed along the runway, BAK-14/BAK-12B(B) configurations positioned at 1,500 feet and 2,100 feet.
Is fuel available at Biggs AAF?
Jet fuel is available at Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss), listed in airport data as A++, though the associated remark describes it as A+ delivered by truck only. Refueling operates on the same schedule as field attendance, 1500-0700Z Monday through Sunday except holidays, and requires one hour's prior notice. An after-hours call-out fee of $100 applies outside that window. Dispatchers should coordinate fuel timing directly with the airfield rather than assume walk-up service.
How does KBIF's traffic pattern differ by aircraft type?
Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss) uses altitude-segregated traffic patterns by aircraft category. Fixed-wing aircraft fly the pattern at 5,000 feet, turboprops at 5,500 feet, rotary-wing aircraft at 4,500 feet, and jets at 6,000 feet. Pilots should also note a published caution: El Paso International's runway 22, about 2 nautical miles southeast, can be mistaken for Biggs AAF's own runway 22. A coyote hazard is also noted for the field.
What is the seasonal traffic pattern at Biggs AAF?
Biggs AAF (Fort Bliss) shows business aviation operations concentrated in specific months of 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, which tracks cross-border traffic at this Texas field near the Mexican border. October recorded the highest monthly count at 153 operations, followed by April at 147 and July at 142. January was the lowest month at 82 operations. Total annual business aviation traffic came to 1,533 operations against 2,674 total operations for the year.