Salinas Municipal (KSNS), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Salinas Municipal Airport (KSNS) sits in California's Salicom Valley, roughly 87 nautical miles from the nearest major metro, and operates as a towered public-use field with a full-length asphalt runway and both 100LL and Jet A available. Business aviation accounts for the large majority of the field's 4,909 annual operations recorded in 2025 FAA TFMSC data, making KSNS a working general aviation and corporate airport rather than a scheduled airline hub. Customs is not on the field; the nearest customs-equipped airport is Monterey Regional, about 12 nautical miles southwest.
Runways
Salinas Municipal has two paved runways. The longest, 08/26, is 6,004 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first. Helipads and surfaces under 500 ft are excluded.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Salinas Municipal has Jet A and 100LL 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
Salinas Municipal does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Monterey Regional (KMRY), 12 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Salinas Municipal recorded 3,353 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at KSNS spikes sharply in August, more than double most other months, according to 2025 FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 553 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Salinas Municipal averages 2.1 days above 90°F in October and 2.4 freeze days in December. September is the warmest month, with average highs of 74.4°F, and December the coldest, at 61.6°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Salinas Municipal has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact NorCal Approach.
When the control tower is closed, the following lighting activates: MALSR on Runway 31; REIL on Runways 13 and 26; PAPI on Runway 31; HIRL on Runway 13/31; and MIRL on Runway 08/26. The H1 helipad operates on CTAF. VASI systems on Runways 08, 13, and 26 operate continuously.
A 200-foot asphalt stopway serves Runway 31.
A six-foot-tall security fence is located 400 feet prior to the Runway 13 threshold on centerline, and steeply descending terrain is located 350 feet prior to the Runway 31 threshold on centerline; both are within the Runway 13/31 safety area.
Portions of Taxiway B between Taxiway D and Taxiway N receive only limited air traffic control tower services.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Salinas Municipal has five airfields within 26 NM. The closest is Marina Municipal (KOAR), 7.53 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KSNS
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 KSNS.
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 runways are available at KSNS?
Salinas Municipal Airport (KSNS) has two paved runways for fixed-wing traffic. Runway 08/26 is the longer of the two at 6,004 feet by 150 feet, and it is the airport's primary runway for larger business aircraft. Runway 13/31 measures 4,825 feet by 150 feet, also asphalt-surfaced. A separate helipad, H1, is a small 90-by-90-foot asphalt-concrete pad. Both main runways are wide at 150 feet, giving operators margin on approach and rollout.
Is fuel available at KSNS?
Yes, Salinas Municipal Airport stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel. The field is attended around the clock, per its ALL / ALL / ALL attendance schedule, so fuel service is not limited to specific hours. KSNS is towered, adding a layer of operational support for arriving and departing traffic. With both fuel types on hand, the airport can support piston and turbine aircraft alike without a fuel stop diversion.
Can international flights clear customs at KSNS?
No, Salinas Municipal Airport does not have customs service on site. The nearest airport with customs processing is Monterey Regional (KMRY), located about 12.22 nautical miles to the southwest. Operators arriving from international origins need to route their customs clearance through KMRY or another customs-equipped airport before or after landing at KSNS. This is a routing consideration to build into any international trip planning involving KSNS.
What should pilots know about the Runway 13/31 safety area at KSNS?
Salinas Municipal Airport has two notable obstructions near Runway 13/31 documented in its remarks. A six-foot-tall security fence sits 400 feet prior to the Runway 13 threshold, on centerline, within the runway safety area. Separately, steeply descending terrain lies 350 feet prior to the Runway 31 threshold, also on centerline and within the safety area. Both features are worth reviewing before operating on this runway, particularly for approach and landing planning.
How does KSNS handle tower closure and clearance delivery?
When the control tower at Salinas Municipal Airport (KSNS) is closed, several lighting systems activate automatically, including the MALSR on Runway 31, REIL on Runways 13 and 26, PAPI on Runway 31, HIRL on Runway 13/31, and MIRL on Runway 08/26; the H1 helipad switches to CTAF. VASI systems on Runways 08, 13, and 26 operate continuously regardless of tower status. For clearance delivery when the tower is closed, pilots should contact NorCal Approach. Portions of Taxiway B between D and N receive only limited ATCT services even when the tower is open.