Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN), South Dakota
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN) is a public-use, non-towered field in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, sitting at 3,332 feet elevation and serving a rural corner of the state near the Nebraska border. The airport handles a modest but steady volume of business aviation traffic, with a single paved runway and no on-site customs, air traffic control, or continuous attendance, making advance planning important for operators unfamiliar with the field.
Runways
Pine Ridge Airport has one paved runway, 12/30, 5,000 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Pine Ridge Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Casper / Natrona County International (KCPR), 174 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Pine Ridge Airport recorded 534 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in January and September. Business aviation traffic at Pine Ridge Airport is concentrated in January and September, based on 2025 FAA TFMSC data, with October showing the lowest monthly volume.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month January, 54 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Pine Ridge Airport averages 17.6 days above 90°F in July and 30.8 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89.1°F, and January the coldest, at 36.6°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Pine Ridge Airport has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
The MIRL for runway 12/30 and the PAPI for runway 30 operate from dusk until 2230 local time. After 2230, pilots must activate the lighting themselves via CTAF.
For clearance delivery, contact Denver ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Pine Ridge Airport has four airfields within 44 NM. The closest is Gordon Municipal (KGRN), 19.48 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KIEN
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 KIEN.
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 is the runway length at KIEN?
Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN) has a single paved runway, 12/30, measuring 5,000 feet by 75 feet with an asphalt surface. This is also the airport's max paved runway length. There is no parallel or crosswind runway available, so dispatchers should plan around a single-runway operation with wind exposure limited to the 12/30 orientation. The field is unattended, and the runway lighting operates on a scheduled basis rather than continuously overnight.
Is KIEN a towered airport, and how does traffic get managed?
Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN) is non-towered and listed as unattended (UNATNDD) in its attendance schedule. Clearance delivery for IFR traffic is handled by Denver ARTCC rather than a local tower or ground facility. Pilots and dispatchers should expect to coordinate departure clearances through the ARTCC and use CTAF for local traffic advisories. This setup is typical for a general aviation field of this size in a remote area of South Dakota.
What are the runway lighting hours at Pine Ridge Airport?
At Pine Ridge Airport, the MIRL for runway 12/30 and the PAPI for runway 30 operate from dusk until 2230 local time. After 2230, pilots must activate the lighting themselves using CTAF. This means late-night arrivals depend on pilot-controlled activation rather than continuous illumination. Dispatchers scheduling operations after 2230 should confirm crews are briefed on the CTAF activation procedure before planning an arrival or departure at that hour.
Does KIEN have customs clearance available on site?
Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN) does not have customs service on site. The nearest customs facility is at KCPR, located approximately 174 nautical miles away. Any international arrival requiring customs clearance must be routed through that facility instead of Pine Ridge. Dispatchers planning cross-border legs into this region should factor the distance to KCPR into routing and fuel planning, since no customs processing option exists locally.
When is business aviation traffic highest at Pine Ridge Airport?
Business aviation traffic at Pine Ridge Airport (KIEN) shows a notable seasonal pattern, with January and September posting the highest monthly counts at 54 and 53 operations respectively, according to FAA TFMSC data for 2025. October is the slowest month at 33 operations. Total annual business aviation operations reach 534 out of 1,106 total operations at the field. Dispatchers scheduling flights into KIEN should note that traffic is not evenly distributed across the year, with early winter and early fall seeing the heavier volumes.