Portsmouth International at Pease (KPSM), New Hampshire
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Portsmouth International at Pease (KPSM) is a Level 1 towered airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, built around a single 11,322-foot runway shared with an Air National Guard unit. The field handles a substantial mix of civilian business aviation and military traffic, with FAA TFMSC data showing 9,627 business aviation operations against 18,439 total operations in 2025. Onsite CBP inspection services and a USDA compliance agreement support international arrivals, though customs must be arranged in advance and ground handling coordinated ahead of arrival for international flights.
Runways
Portsmouth International at Pease has one paved runway, 16/34, 11,322 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt and concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Portsmouth International at Pease has Jet A, 100LL and J8 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
Portsmouth International at Pease has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Portsmouth International at Pease recorded 9,627 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at KPSM concentrates in the summer months, peaking in August at 1,153 operations compared with roughly 500 operations in January and February.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 1,153 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Portsmouth International at Pease averages 4.3 snow days in January.
Weather station is 2.6 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Portsmouth International at Pease has published operating constraints in seven categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, noise procedures, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Turbulence occurs at the approach end of Runway 34 in strong crosswinds.
Practice landing approaches and touch-and-go operations are prohibited from 2300 to 0700 for locally based aircraft, from 2100 to 0700 for transient aircraft, and before 1200 on Sunday for all aircraft.
On approaches other than a published instrument approach procedure, arriving aircraft should establish themselves on final approach at least 2 nautical miles from the runway threshold at a minimum of 700 feet MSL.
Avoid close-in base legs and short approaches.
Airfield management hours are 1200 to 0400-plus Monday through Thursday, 1200 to 2100-plus Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday and holidays except for unit training. All transient aircraft require prior permission no later than 72 hours in advance. Contact airfield management or its listed extension. Prior permission is required outside published hours; contact the command post. Contact Pack Control on frequency 323.8, 30 minutes prior to landing. Airfield management does not store COMSEC; contact the command post for temporary storage. Deicing is available, and anti-ice service is available at the FBO.
No 180-degree turns are permitted for aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight on the asphalt portion of Runway 16/34.
Runway edge lights are 24 inches tall and located 85 feet from the runway centerline.
Runway 16/34 has double-faced distance markers on both sides of the runway at 1,000-foot intervals.
The first 600 feet of Runway 16 is grooved concrete.
On departure, maintain runway heading to 1,100 feet MSL or the end of the runway, whichever occurs last, prior to turning.
There is a 200-foot blast pad at each runway end.
Littlebrook Airpark is located at bearing 052 degrees, 4.4 nautical miles away, with a traffic pattern at 1,130 feet MSL; fly the downwind leg no closer than half a mile from the runway.
Runway 34 is preferred when the tailwind component is less than five knots. Runway 16 is preferred for takeoff, between 2200 and 0659, when the tailwind component is five knots or less.
Noise-sensitive areas lie off both ends of the runway.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Military notice: the Air National Guard BASH Phase II program is in effect March through May and September through October annually. A BASH mitigation program is in place. Contact Pease Tower for the current bird watch condition.
PCR VALUE: 430/F/A/X/T
Fuel is available at the Air National Guard ramp.
All inbound aircraft carrying hazmat cargo information must call the Air Traffic Control Tower 60 nautical miles out.
The traffic pattern is rectangular at 1,600 feet MSL, with overhead traffic at 2,100 feet MSL and light aircraft at 1,100 feet MSL.
Customs clearing is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Standard office hours are Monday through Friday, 0900 to 1630. Customs must be arranged in advance. International arrivals must arrange ground handling prior to arrival.
Caution: Height Group 1, which is 54 feet.
Military fuel oil requires 48 hours of processing time.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Portsmouth International at Pease has five airfields within 29 NM. The closest is Skyhaven (KDAW), 13.23 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KPSM
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 KPSM.
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 length is available at KPSM?
Portsmouth International at Pease operates a single runway, 16/34, measuring 11,322 feet long and 150 feet wide. The surface is asphalt-concrete, and the first 600 feet of Runway 16 is grooved concrete. This length supports large transport-category aircraft with no runway-related weight restriction noted for the field. Operators should note there are no 180-degree turns permitted on the asphalt portion of 16/34 for aircraft over 12,500 pounds gross weight. The single-runway configuration means wind alignment with 16/34 governs all arrival and departure planning at KPSM.
Is fuel available at KPSM, including Jet A?
Portsmouth International at Pease carries 100LL, Jet A, and J8 in its listed fuel types, with Jet A confirmed available. One remark notes fuel is also available at the Air National Guard ramp. J8 availability reflects the field's military tenant activity alongside civilian services. Dispatchers planning international or long-haul business aviation legs through KPSM can count on Jet A support. Confirm specific fuel access points and hours directly given the mixed military-civilian ramp environment at the airport.
What are the customs procedures at KPSM?
Portsmouth International at Pease has CBP inspection services onsite along with a USDA compliance agreement. Customs clearing is available around the clock, but standard office hours run Monday through Friday, 0900 to 1630. Customs must be arranged in advance regardless of arrival time. International arrivals must also arrange ground handling before arrival. This combination makes advance coordination essential for any international operator planning to clear customs at KPSM outside standard office hours.
When is the busiest period for business aviation traffic at KPSM?
Business aviation traffic at Portsmouth International at Pease, tracked as cross-border activity by the FAA, concentrates in the summer months. August recorded 1,153 operations and July 1,095, the two highest months in the 2025 FAA TFMSC data. June also ran high at 1,021 operations, while winter months like January and February sit near 500. Total bizav operations for the year reached 9,627 against total field operations of 18,439. Dispatchers should anticipate higher ramp and slot demand at KPSM through the mid-year months.
What noise and pattern procedures apply at KPSM?
Portsmouth International at Pease sits near noise-sensitive areas off both ends of Runway 16/34, and operators are asked to avoid close-in base legs and short approaches. The traffic pattern is rectangular at 1,600 feet MSL, with overhead traffic at 2,100 feet MSL and light aircraft at 1,100 feet MSL. On departure, aircraft must maintain runway heading to 1,100 feet MSL or the end of the runway, whichever occurs last, before turning. There are also restrictions on ground run-ups and touch-and-go operations at night for both local and transient aircraft. These procedures reflect the airport's residential proximity despite its long runway and heavy business jet traffic.