Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (KMWA), Illinois
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (KMWA) serves the Marion, Illinois area with a towered field offering a long primary runway and both piston and jet fuel. The airport handles a mix of business aviation and other traffic, with 2025 figures placing it in Skystar's tier 1 category for documentation and activity level. Its longer runway and grooved concrete surface section support a range of turbine equipment, while its distance from the nearest customs facility is a key planning factor for international operators.
Runways
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has two paved runways. The longest, 02/20, is 8,012 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Scott AFB / Midamerica Saint Louis (KBLV), 61 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois recorded 1,535 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June, September, October, November and December.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month June, 167 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is 6.2 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has published operating constraints in four categories: runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
MALSR for Runway 20, REIL for Runways 11 and 29, and PAPI for Runways 02, 11, and 29 are pilot-activated via CTAF. HIRL for Runway 02/20 is preset to low intensity and can be increased via CTAF. MIRL for Runway 11/29 is also controlled via CTAF.
The first 1,200 feet of Runway 29 is grooved concrete.
Waterfowl and deer are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 550/F/D/X/T
PCR VALUE: 190/R/D/W/T
Taxiways E and E4 are closed indefinitely.
Helipads are located in the northeast corner of the GA ramp and are situated in a non-movement area.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has five airfields within 37 NM. The closest is Southern Illinois (KMDH), 11.52 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KMWA
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 KMWA.
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
Does KMWA have customs available onsite?
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois does not have onsite customs processing. The nearest customs facility is at KBLV, located approximately 61 nautical miles away. Crews requiring customs clearance need to plan a stop at that facility or coordinate clearance through it before or after operating into KMWA. This distance should factor into routing and fuel planning for international arrivals. No customs designation, military or CANPASS-restricted, applies at this field since the service is simply not present on the airfield.
What runway options are available at KMWA?
KMWA offers two paved runways for arriving and departing traffic. Runway 02/20 is the longer of the two at 8,012 feet, with a width of 150 feet and an asphalt surface. Runway 11/29 measures 4,997 feet long and 100 feet wide, surfaced in asphalt-concrete. The first 1,200 feet of Runway 29 is grooved concrete, a detail relevant to braking action planning. Both runways support jet and turboprop operations given their respective lengths at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois.
Is fuel available at KMWA?
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois carries both 100LL and Jet A fuel. The field operates under an ALL / ALL / ALL attendance schedule, meaning fuel and field attendance are not limited to specific days or hours. This makes KMWA usable for a range of piston and turbine business aviation traffic without needing to schedule around a limited attendance window. Dispatchers can plan fuel stops here without the added complexity of prior-notice attendance restrictions seen at less-attended fields.
What is the business aviation traffic volume at KMWA?
KMWA recorded 1,535 business aviation operations against 3,423 total annual operations in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. This places the field in Skystar's tier 1 category, reflecting a well-documented and comparatively active airport for its region. Monthly bizav activity ranged from a low of 57 operations in January to a peak of 167 in June. Traffic stayed relatively steady through the second half of the year, running between roughly 140 and 166 operations most months at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois.
Are there any known wildlife or airfield hazards at KMWA?
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has a documented remark noting waterfowl and deer activity on and in the vicinity of the airport. Crews should factor this into arrival and departure planning, particularly during low-light periods when wildlife strikes are more likely. Separately, taxiways E and E4 are closed indefinitely, which affects ground movement planning at KMWA. Helipads are located in the northeast corner of the GA ramp within the non-movement area, a detail relevant to rotorcraft operators sharing the ramp.