Lea County / Jal Airport (E26), New Mexico
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Lea County / Jal Airport, local identifier E26, is an unattended public-use field in Jal, New Mexico, sitting at 3,118 feet elevation. FAA TFMSC data for 2025 shows light business aviation traffic, all of it crossing the US border given the airport's classification, with the nearest customs service located at Midland International (KMAF) roughly 49.8 nautical miles away. The field has two paved asphalt runways and lies within an area of active oil drilling operations, a factor noted in the airport's own remarks.
Runways
Lea County / Jal Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 01/19, is 4,704 ft long and 60 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Lea County / Jal Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Midland International Air and Space Port (KMAF), 50 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Lea County / Jal Airport recorded 11 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September and November. Recorded traffic at Lea County/Jal Airport (E26) is concentrated in the September through November period, with fewer or no operations reported in other months.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 2 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Lea County / Jal Airport averages 27.9 days above 90°F in July, 22.2 freeze days in January and 0.2 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 95.9°F, and January the coldest, at 59.9°F.
Weather station is 2.1 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Lea County / Jal Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Line of sight between runways is not available.
PAPI for Runway 01 and Runway 19, and MIRL for Runway 01/19, are pilot-activated on CTAF. MIRL for Runway 01/19 presets to low intensity and can be increased in intensity via CTAF.
A 4-foot fence is located 50 feet from the threshold, and a 10-foot road is located 40 feet from the threshold.
Brush 1 to 2 feet tall is present from 0 to 200 feet from the threshold, 95 feet left of centerline.
A 4-foot fence is located 15 feet from the runway end, 8-foot brush is located 20 feet from the runway end, and a 10-foot road is located at the threshold.
3-foot posts are located 145 feet from the threshold on the centerline, and extend 40 feet left and 110 feet right of centerline.
A 20-foot pump jack is located 990 feet from the threshold, 185 feet left of centerline.
The approach slope is 4:1 to the displaced threshold due to a 10-foot road located 40 feet from the displaced threshold.
The approach slope is 5:1 to the displaced threshold due to a 10-foot road located 65 feet from the displaced threshold.
Brush 3 to 5 feet tall is present 60 to 125 feet from the centerline on the north side.
Oil drilling activity is ongoing on and in the vicinity of the airport.
For clearance delivery, contact Fort Worth ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Lea County / Jal Airport has five airfields within 39 NM. The closest is Winkler County (KINK), 21.23 NM south.
Part of the Midland and Odessa area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at E26
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.
$1,200.00 catering order at E26.
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 fuel available at E26, Lea County / Jal Airport?
Fuel type data is not published for Lea County / Jal Airport (E26) in current FAA records. Dispatchers should not assume Jet A or avgas availability and should plan for a tanker or a fuel stop at a nearby field before or after operations here. The field is unattended, so no fuel service coordination is possible on site.
What customs options exist near E26 for international arrivals?
Lea County / Jal Airport (E26) has no onsite customs processing. The nearest customs-capable airport is Midland International Air and Space Port (KMAF), located approximately 49.8 nautical miles away. Crews arriving from outside the US should plan to clear customs at KMAF before or after a stop at E26 rather than expecting any onsite CBP presence.
What is the longest runway at KJAL, and how wide is it?
The primary runway at Lea County / Jal Airport, local identifier E26, is Runway 01/19, measuring 4,704 feet long and 60 feet wide with an asphalt surface. A secondary crosswind runway, 09/27, is shorter at 2,604 feet long and 50 feet wide, also asphalt. Neither runway has published weight-bearing capacity data on file.
What obstacles should pilots expect near the runway ends at E26?
Lea County / Jal Airport (E26) reports several close-in obstructions affecting approaches. These include fencing and roads within 15 to 65 feet of runway thresholds or ends, low brush near the extended centerline, posts near Runway 19, and a 20-foot pump jack roughly 990 feet from a threshold. Approach slopes as shallow as 4:1 and 5:1 are noted due to road obstructions near the displaced threshold.