Portland Municipal (KPLD), Indiana
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Portland Municipal Airport, identified as KPLD, serves Portland, Indiana with a single paved runway suited to light and midsize business aircraft. The field is non-towered and operates without an on-site customs facility, placing it within Chicago ARTCC's clearance delivery coverage for IFR traffic. Dispatchers routing through east-central Indiana will find KPLD a straightforward alternative to the region's towered fields, with fuel available during published attendance hours.
Runways
Portland Municipal has one paved runway, 09/27, 5,505 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
Portland Municipal has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 7pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Portland Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Fort Wayne International (KFWA), 33 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Portland Municipal recorded 784 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in December. Business aviation traffic at KPLD builds through the second half of the year and peaks in December, with roughly three times the operations recorded in January.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month December, 105 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Portland Municipal averages 5.2 days above 90°F in July, 27.6 freeze days in January and 2.7 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83.7°F, and January the coldest, at 33.8°F.
Weather station is 2.0 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Portland Municipal has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
REIL for runways 09 and 27 and MIRL for runway 09/27 are pilot-activated via CTAF. MIRL for runway 09/27 is preset to low intensity, with increased intensity available via CTAF. PAPI for runways 09 and 27 operates continuously.
Seasonal crops are present as an obstruction.
A 150-foot lighted water tower stands 1,300 feet southeast of the airport, and a 120-foot grain elevator stands 1,300 feet east-southeast.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 3 degrees right of centerline.
For clearance delivery, contact Chicago ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Portland Municipal has five airfields within 31 NM. The closest is Randolph County, 17.28 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KPLD
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 KPLD.
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 KPLD have customs on site?
Portland Municipal Airport does not have an on-site customs facility. The nearest customs clearance is available at KFWA, located approximately 33 nautical miles away. Flights requiring a customs stop should plan to route through Fort Wayne or another designated port of entry instead. For international arrivals, crews should contact Chicago ARTCC for clearance delivery matters at KPLD, as noted in the airport's own remarks. Dispatchers should confirm customs handling requirements well before filing a flight plan into KPLD.
What runway does Portland Municipal Airport have?
Portland Municipal Airport has a single runway, 09/27, measuring 5,505 feet long and 75 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the airport's only paved runway and matches the field's maximum published paved length. The runway supports REIL lighting on both ends along with medium intensity runway lighting activated through CTAF. A PAPI is also installed on both runway ends, with the 09 and 27 units operating continuously rather than pilot-activated.
Are there any visual approach limitations at KPLD?
Yes, the PAPI at Portland Municipal Airport has a documented usability limitation. It is unusable beyond three degrees right of centerline, meaning pilots flying an approach outside that lateral tolerance should not rely on its glidepath guidance. This applies to the PAPI installation referenced in KPLD's airport remarks and is a factor for crews planning non-precision or visual approaches. Pilots should brief this restriction before arrival and use alternative glidepath references if positioned outside that three-degree window.
How does traffic at KPLD vary by season?
Traffic at KPLD, based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025, is concentrated in the fall and winter months. December recorded 105 business aviation operations, the highest monthly total of the year, while January recorded only 37. The climb begins around September and October, each exceeding 75 operations, and continues through November before peaking in December. Dispatchers scheduling flights into Portland Municipal Airport during these months should anticipate higher relative activity than in the spring.
What obstructions should pilots note near Portland Municipal Airport?
Portland Municipal Airport's remarks list a 150-foot lighted water tower 1,300 feet southeast of the field and a 120-foot grain elevator 1,300 feet east-southeast. Seasonal crops are also noted as an obstruction type near the airport, which can affect low-altitude visual references depending on the time of year. These fixed and seasonal features are close enough to the runway environment to warrant attention during approach and departure planning at KPLD. Crews operating at night or in reduced visibility should brief these obstructions specifically given their proximity to the field.