Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport (KGKT), Tennessee
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport, identified by the code KGKT, serves the Sevierville, Tennessee area with a single asphalt runway and no operating control tower. The field sits at 1,014 feet elevation and supports business aviation traffic bound for the Great Smoky Mountains tourism corridor, with McGhee Tyson International the nearest customs-capable airport roughly 23 nautical miles distant.
Runways
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport has one paved runway, 10/28, 5,506 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
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Mc Ghee Tyson (KTYS), 23 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport recorded 1,756 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May. Business aviation traffic at KGKT concentrates heavily in the winter and spring months, with operations falling to single digits from July through October according to FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 310 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport averages 16.2 days above 90°F in July, 21.2 freeze days in January and 0.5 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89.6°F, and January the coldest, at 49.0°F.
Weather station is 5.5 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and environmental.
For clearance delivery, contact Knoxville Approach; if unable to reach clearance delivery, contact Knoxville Approach.
REIL for runways 10 and 28, and MIRL for runway 10/28, are pilot-activated via CTAF. PAPI for runways 10 and 28 operate continuously. MIRL for runway 10/28 is preset to low intensity, with higher intensity available via CTAF.
Aircraft parked on the northwest side may present a hazard near the runway end.
The approach ratio is 26:1 to the displaced threshold.
Deer are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport has five airfields within 38 NM. The closest is Knoxville Downtown Island (KDKX), 17.94 NM west.
Part of the Knoxville area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KGKT
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 KGKT.
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 KGKT?
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport, identifier KGKT, has a single paved runway, 10/28, measuring 5,506 feet long and 75 feet wide. The surface is asphalt. This length is also the airport's maximum paved distance, meaning no other runway option exists at the field. Dispatchers planning turbine or larger business aircraft should confirm performance figures against this single strip, since there is no alternate runway orientation available at KGKT if wind conditions favor a different heading.
Is customs clearance available at KGKT?
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport does not have customs onsite. The nearest customs facility is McGhee Tyson, identified as KTYS, located approximately 22.82 nautical miles away. Flights requiring federal inspection processing must route through that airport instead of clearing directly at KGKT. Dispatchers coordinating international arrivals should build this diversion distance into routing and timing plans, since no onsite customs option exists at this field.
What are the fuel options at KGKT?
KGKT stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel, according to the airport's listed fuel types. This dual availability supports a range of piston and turbine business aircraft operating in and out of Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport. The attendance schedule runs from 0800 to 1800 between November and February, and extends to 0800 through 1900 from March through October. Dispatchers should plan arrivals within these attended hours to ensure fuel service availability at KGKT.
Why does traffic at KGKT drop sharply in summer months?
Business aviation traffic at Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport shows a pronounced seasonal pattern, with operations concentrated in the winter and spring months and a steep decline from June through October. According to FAA TFMSC data, monthly business aviation operations range from around 270 to 310 in March through May, then fall to single digits by July through September. November and December see a rebound to over 150 operations per month. Dispatchers scheduling repeat visits to KGKT should account for this uneven annual distribution when forecasting slot availability or ramp congestion.
What obstacle or approach considerations apply at KGKT?
Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport reports an approach ratio of 26:1 to the displaced threshold, a slope figure relevant to descent planning on approach. Deer have also been reported on and in the vicinity of the airport, a wildlife hazard crews should watch for during arrival and departure. Pilots-in-command should brief for both the terrain-related approach gradient and the possibility of animal incursions near the runway environment at KGKT, particularly during low-light hours when deer activity tends to increase.