Harriman-and-West Airport (KAQW), Massachusetts
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Harriman-and-West Airport (KAQW) serves North Adams, Massachusetts, with a single paved runway and a mix of powered and glider traffic typical of the Berkshires region. The field sits at 654 feet elevation and operates without a control tower, relying on CTAF for coordination and pilot-activated runway lighting. Customs is not available on site; the nearest facility is Pittsfield Municipal Airport, roughly 17 nautical miles away. Business aviation activity here is modest, reflecting the airport's role as a regional general aviation field rather than a business travel hub.
Runways
Harriman-and-West Airport has one paved runway, 11/29, 4,300 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Harriman-and-West Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Harriman-and-West Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Pittsfield Municipal (KPSF), 17 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Harriman-and-West Airport recorded 249 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at KAQW concentrates in the summer months, climbing from a low of 5 operations in December to a peak of 39 in July.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 39 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Harriman-and-West Airport averages 1.3 days above 90°F in July and 28.2 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80.9°F, and January the coldest, at 32.4°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Harriman-and-West Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Extensive glider operations occur from dawn to dusk, surface to 18,000 feet, year round, primarily on weekends and holidays.
Runway 29 right traffic is for powered aircraft. Runway 29 left traffic is for gliders and tow planes.
For clearance delivery, contact Albany Approach.
Pilots landing on runway 29 are encouraged to avoid low approaches, if safe to do so, over the residential neighborhood just east of the airport.
Runway 11 left traffic is for powered aircraft. Runway 11 right traffic is for gliders and tow planes.
Medium intensity runway lighting for runway 11/29 is pilot-activated via CTAF.
The approach ratio is 20:1 to the displaced threshold.
Wildlife is present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Mountain ranges surround the airport: 9,100 feet to the north at elevation 1,894 feet; 4,300 feet to the north at elevation 2,254 feet; 10,800 feet to the south at elevation 2,951 feet; and 12,800 feet to the south at elevation 2,690 feet.
Taxiway A2 has been removed.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Harriman-and-West Airport has five airfields within 34 NM. The closest is William H Morse State (KDDH), 12.18 NM north.
Part of the Albany and the Hudson Valley area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KAQW
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 KAQW.
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 KAQW have on-site customs clearance?
Harriman-and-West Airport (KAQW) does not have customs available on site. The nearest customs facility is Pittsfield Municipal Airport, located about 17 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from outside the United States should plan to clear customs at that location before or after a stop at KAQW. Coordination with Albany Approach is noted for clearance delivery in the airport's operational remarks.
What fuel is available at Harriman-and-West Airport?
Harriman-and-West Airport (KAQW) stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel. The field operates on an irregular attendance schedule rather than fixed hours, so fuel availability should be confirmed before arrival. There is no control tower at KAQW, and pilots coordinate movements over the common traffic advisory frequency.
What is the runway configuration at KAQW?
KAQW has a single paved runway, 11/29, measuring 4,300 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. Runway lighting (MIRL) on 11/29 is pilot-controlled and activated via CTAF. Traffic patterns are split by aircraft type: powered aircraft use right traffic on runway 29 and left traffic on runway 11, while gliders and tow planes use the opposite side on each runway.
When does business aviation traffic peak at Harriman-and-West Airport?
Business aviation traffic at Harriman-and-West Airport (KAQW) peaks in July, with 39 operations recorded, according to FAA TFMSC data for 2025. Traffic builds through the spring and summer months before tapering off sharply by December, which sees only 5 operations. This seasonal pattern aligns with the airport's extensive glider operations, which run primarily on weekends and holidays year round but see heavier concentration in warmer months.