Lake Cumberland Regional (KSME), Kentucky
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME) serves Somerset, Kentucky, with a single asphalt runway supporting business aviation traffic in the south-central part of the state. The field is non-towered and operates without onsite customs, with the nearest customs clearance available at Lexington (KLEX), roughly 59 nautical miles away. Attendance runs daily, with slightly extended hours on weekdays compared to weekends.
Runways
Lake Cumberland Regional has one paved runway, 05/23, 5,801 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Lake Cumberland Regional has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. The airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Lake Cumberland Regional does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Blue Grass (KLEX), 59 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Lake Cumberland Regional recorded 1,113 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at KSME builds through the spring and peaks in July before tapering off toward the winter months.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 127 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Lake Cumberland Regional averages 7.3 days above 90°F in July, 22.0 freeze days in January and 0.8 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86.5°F, and January the coldest, at 45.4°F.
Weather station is 3.8 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Lake Cumberland Regional has published operating constraints in two categories: runway notes and other notes.
REIL for runways 05 and 23, PAPI for runways 05 and 23, and MIRL for runway 05/23 are pilot-activated via CTAF.
Approach ratio is 18:1 to the displaced threshold.
Approach ratio is 8:1 to the displaced threshold.
For clearance delivery, contact Indianapolis ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Lake Cumberland Regional has five airfields within 33 NM. The closest is Wayne County (KEKQ), 16.58 NM southwest.
Part of the Kentucky area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KSME
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 KSME.
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
Is fuel available at KSME, and what types?
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME) offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel, along with A+ fuel. The field carries a Jet A designation, making it usable for turbine business aircraft as well as piston traffic. Fuel service aligns with the airport's attendance schedule, which runs seven days a week. Weekday hours are 0700 to 1800, and weekend hours run 0800 to 1800. Operators should plan fuel stops around these attended hours since KSME is non-towered and has no separate 24-hour fuel desk noted in the data.
Does KSME have customs clearance onsite?
KSME does not have onsite customs clearance. The nearest customs-equipped airport is Lexington (KLEX), located approximately 59 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from international origins need to route their customs clearance through KLEX or another designated port rather than clearing directly at Lake Cumberland Regional Airport. This distance should factor into routing and fuel planning for any flight requiring a customs stop before or after a visit to KSME.
What is the runway configuration at Lake Cumberland Regional Airport?
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME) has a single paved runway, 05/23, measuring 5,801 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the airport's only runway, so all arrivals and departures use this same strip regardless of wind direction. The runway length accommodates a range of business aircraft, and its width of 100 feet gives operators reasonable margin on landing and takeoff rolls. There is no parallel or crosswind runway at this field.
Are there lighting aids available at KSME for approach and landing?
KSME provides several pilot-activated lighting systems for both runway ends. Runway ends 05 and 23 each have REIL (Runway End Identifier Lights) and PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) units, and the runway itself has MIRL (Medium Intensity Runway Lighting) covering the full 05/23 length. All of these systems are activated via CTAF rather than through a control tower, since Lake Cumberland Regional Airport is non-towered. Pilots should be prepared to key the appropriate frequency to bring up lighting during low-light or night operations.
How does business aviation traffic at KSME vary through the year?
Business aviation traffic at Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME) shows a clear seasonal pattern based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. Monthly operations start around 70 to 75 flights in the winter months of January, February, and December, then climb through spring, reaching 105 operations in May and peaking at 127 in July. Traffic eases somewhat in August and September before declining again into the fall and winter. Total annual business aviation operations for the year come to 1,113 flights out of 1,320 total operations recorded at the field.