Libby Airport (S59), Montana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Libby Airport (S59) is a public-use, non-towered field in Libby, Montana, sitting at 2,605 feet elevation and serving light business aviation traffic in the Kootenai Valley. A single asphalt runway handles all operations, and fuel is available on an attendant-schedule basis rather than around the clock. Customs is not available onsite; aircraft requiring clearance must route through Glacier Park International (KGPI), about 49 nautical miles away. Operators should plan around the field's mountain-adjacent terrain and unlighted approach obstacles noted in the airport's remarks.
Runways
Libby Airport has one paved runway, 15/33, 5,003 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Libby Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Libby Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Glacier Park International (KGPI), 49 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Libby Airport recorded 68 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September. Business aviation traffic at Libby Airport concentrates in August and September, which together account for more operations than the rest of the year combined, according to FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 19 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Libby Airport averages 12.1 days above 90°F in July and 29.9 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.5°F, and December the coldest, at 31.2°F.
Weather station is 6.4 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Libby Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
Pilot-controlled lighting: activate the REIL for Runway 15 and Runway 33, the PAPI for Runway 15 and Runway 33, and the MIRL for Runway 15/33 via CTAF.
A berm 3 to 6 feet high is located 180 feet from the threshold, 71 feet right of centerline.
Trees within the primary surface create an approach slope of less than 1:1.
For clearance delivery, contact Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Libby Airport has five airfields within 45 NM. The closest is Crystal Lakes Resort, 38.83 NM northeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at S59
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 S59.
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 customs clearance available at S59?
No, Libby Airport (S59) has no onsite customs service. The nearest customs-capable airport is Glacier Park International (KGPI), located approximately 49 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from outside the United States need to route their clearance through KGPI rather than clearing directly at Libby. This distance should be factored into routing and fuel planning for international arrivals.
What runway does Libby Airport offer?
Libby Airport (S59) has a single paved runway, 15/33, measuring 5,003 feet long and 75 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the only runway serving the field, so all arrivals and departures use this one strip. Pilots should note the field has no control tower, making it a non-towered operation requiring CTAF procedures for traffic coordination.
Are there approach obstacles to know about at KGPI's alternate S59?
Yes, Libby Airport reports obstacles affecting approach planning. A berm 3 to 6 feet high sits 180 feet from the threshold and 71 feet right of centerline, and trees within the primary surface create an approach slope less than 1:1. Pilots flying into Libby should account for these close-in obstructions when briefing approaches, particularly on the affected runway end.
When is business aviation traffic heaviest at S59?
Traffic at Libby Airport (S59) peaks in August and September, based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. September recorded 19 business aviation operations and August recorded 17, well above the single-digit monthly counts seen for most of the year. Operators planning trips into this period should expect the airport's busiest conditions relative to its otherwise modest annual volume of 90 total operations.