Grand Strand Airport (KCRE), South Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) serves the North Myrtle Beach area with a single paved runway and a control tower operating daily from 0700 to 2100 local. The field handles both piston and turbine traffic, with fuel available in 100LL and Jet A, and sits within reach of customs clearance at Myrtle Beach International roughly 13 nautical miles away. Business aviation makes up the bulk of recorded operations, and dispatchers routing through the Grand Strand corridor will find a straightforward single-runway layout with tower coverage during normal operating hours.
Runways
Grand Strand Airport has one paved runway, 05/23, 5,997 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
Grand Strand Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 9pm, daily, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Grand Strand Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Myrtle Beach International (KMYR), 13 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Grand Strand Airport recorded 4,120 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May and June. Business aviation traffic at KCRE peaks in May and June, with activity lower during the winter months of January and February.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 435 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Grand Strand Airport averages 8.2 days above 90°F in July and 12.4 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87.6°F, and January the coldest, at 55.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Grand Strand Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact Myrtle Beach Approach. If Myrtle Beach Approach is closed, contact Jacksonville ARTCC.
After midnight, pilots can activate the high-intensity runway lights on runway 05/23, the REIL on runway 05, and the MALSR on runway 23, via CTAF.
Extensive banner tow operations occur from the airport along the coastline, extending 10 nautical miles northeast and 20 nautical miles southwest.
Gulls are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Grand Strand Airport has five airfields within 34 NM. The closest is Myrtle Beach International (KMYR), 12.92 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KCRE
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 KCRE.
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
What runway does KCRE offer for business aviation arrivals?
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) has one paved runway, designated 05/23, measuring 5,997 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length accommodates most business jet and turboprop traffic operating into the North Myrtle Beach area. There is no second runway or crosswind option at the field, so pilots planning arrivals should factor wind conditions against the single 05/23 alignment. The runway length matches the airport's published max paved distance of 5,997 feet.
Is customs clearance available directly at KCRE?
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) does not have onsite customs clearance. The nearest customs facility is at Myrtle Beach International (KMYR), approximately 12.92 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs processing on arrival into the North Myrtle Beach region should plan to route through KMYR instead of KCRE. Dispatchers should confirm current customs procedures and hours at KMYR directly, since none of that clearance capability exists at Grand Strand itself.
What are the tower and lighting hours at KCRE?
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) has a control tower attended daily from 0700 to 2100 local time. Outside tower hours, runway and approach lighting is pilot-activated: the high-intensity runway lights on 05/23, the REIL on runway 05, and the MALSR on runway 23 can all be turned on after midnight via CTAF. When the tower is closed, clearance delivery is handled by Myrtle Beach Approach, and if that facility is also closed, Jacksonville ARTCC provides the service.
Does KCRE see much business aviation traffic, and when is it busiest?
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) recorded 4,120 business aviation operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, out of 6,139 total annual operations. Traffic is concentrated in the late spring months, with May showing the highest count at 435 operations and June close behind at 424. Winter months are quieter, with January at 197 operations and February at 296. Dispatchers scheduling flexible trips may find better slot availability outside the May-June peak.
Are there any wildlife or special operational hazards reported at KCRE?
Grand Strand Airport (KCRE) has a standing remark noting gulls on and in the vicinity of the airport, which pilots should watch for during approach and departure. The field also sees extensive banner tow operations along the coastline, extending roughly 10 nautical miles northeast and 20 nautical miles southwest of the airport. Crews operating in the local area should anticipate slower-moving banner tow aircraft sharing the coastal corridor. Both hazards are specific to the KCRE operating environment and are worth briefing before transiting the area.