Saint Simons Island Airport (KSSI), Georgia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
St Simons Island Airport, KSSI, sits on the Georgia coast about 50 nautical miles from the nearest metro area and serves as a general aviation and business aviation field with onsite CBP inspection services. The airport handled 20,740 total annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 15,386 of those operations, placing it among the busiest ops-tier-1 fields in this registry. Two paved asphalt runways serve the field, the longer being 5,584 feet, and the airport shares regional airspace with nearby Brunswick Golden Isles and Jekyll Island airports, both referenced in local operating remarks.
Runways
Saint Simons Island Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 04/22, is 5,584 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Saint Simons Island Airport has Jet A, Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 8pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Saint Simons Island Airport has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Saint Simons Island Airport recorded 15,386 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October. Business aviation traffic at KSSI concentrates in the spring and fall months, with October, April, and November recording the highest monthly operations of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 1,745 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Saint Simons Island Airport averages 17.2 days above 90°F in July and 4.4 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91.0°F, and January the coldest, at 61.8°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Saint Simons Island Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
Aircraft departing runway 34 should use extreme caution, as the approach end of runway 04 is not visible from the approach end of runway 34.
All arrivals and departures, including aircraft flying instrument approaches, are requested to report 10 miles from the airport, with intentions and position reports made to St Simons CTAF, 123.05.
Prior permission is required for service and fuel after hours.
REIL for runway 04 and HIRL for runways 04/22 and 16/34 are pilot-activated on CTAF.
A 6-foot fence, a 32-foot power pole, and a 12-foot bush are located 75 to 200 feet from the runway end, 228 to 250 feet left of centerline.
A 6-foot fence is located 190 feet right of centerline, 140 feet from the end of runway.
The approach ratio to the displaced threshold is 25:1; 26-foot trees are located 650 feet out and 300 feet right.
The approach ratio to the displaced threshold is 50:1.
Runway 22 is preferred for light and variable winds or crosswinds.
The residential area adjacent to the southeast and south-southwest of runway 16/34 is extremely noise sensitive.
The preferred noise-abatement arrival for helicopter traffic is a straight-in approach to runway 34 followed by a mid-field turn to landing. All wheeled helicopters should ground taxi to final parking.
Birds and wildlife are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Use caution due to congested airspace with turbine, nonturbine, and training aircraft. Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is located 7 nautical miles northwest. Jekyll Island Airport (09J) is located 4 nautical miles south and uses the same CTAF frequency, 123.05.
All VFR aircraft should adhere to the standard left-hand traffic pattern.
Additional airport safety bulletins are posted on the airport operator's safety website.
For clearance delivery, contact Jacksonville ARTCC.
FBO services are available on frequency 130.65.
Training flights are encouraged to use Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, located 7 nautical miles northwest of St Simons Island Airport, for operations.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Saint Simons Island Airport has five airfields within 35 NM. The closest is Jekyll Island, 5.02 NM south.
Part of the Jacksonville area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KSSI
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 KSSI.
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 customs available at KSSI?
St Simons Island Airport, KSSI, offers CBP inspection services onsite. This allows international arrivals to clear customs directly at the field rather than diverting to another port of entry. Dispatchers should still confirm current CBP staffing and any advance notice requirements before scheduling an international leg. The airport's paved runway 04/22, at 5,584 feet, accommodates the turbine traffic that typically requires customs processing. No nearby alternate customs airport is listed in FAA data, reflecting the onsite service at KSSI itself.
What runway length is available at St Simons Island Airport?
St Simons Island Airport has two paved asphalt runways. Runway 04/22 is the longer of the two at 5,584 feet, with a width of 100 feet. Runway 16/34 measures 3,313 feet long and 75 feet wide. Runway 22 is the preferred runway for light or variable wind conditions and crosswinds, according to airport remarks. Pilots planning larger turbine equipment should default to runway 04/22 given its greater length and width.
Are there noise abatement procedures at KSSI?
Yes, St Simons Island Airport has specific noise abatement guidance tied to nearby residential areas southeast and south-southwest of runway 16/34, which are described in airport remarks as extremely noise sensitive. For helicopter traffic, the preferred noise-abatement arrival is a straight-in approach to runway 34 followed by a mid-field turn to landing. Wheeled helicopters are expected to ground taxi to final parking rather than air taxi. Operators at KSSI should brief these procedures before arrival to minimize community impact, particularly for evening or early morning operations.
What obstructions should pilots be aware of near KSSI runways?
St Simons Island Airport has several close-in obstructions documented near its runway ends. One approach path has a 6-foot fence and a 32-foot power pole, along with a 12-foot bush, located 75 to 200 feet from the runway end and 228 to 250 feet left of centerline. A separate 6-foot fence sits 190 feet right of centerline and 140 feet from the runway end. On another approach, 26-foot trees are located 650 feet out and 300 feet right of the displaced threshold, with an approach ratio of 25:1 to that threshold. Crews should review these obstacles during approach planning at KSSI.
How busy is business aviation traffic at St Simons Island Airport by month?
Business aviation traffic at St Simons Island Airport, KSSI, is not evenly distributed across the year, based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. October is the busiest month with 1,745 operations, followed by April at 1,600 and November at 1,578. The slowest months are January with 869 operations and August with 962. This pattern shows a clear seasonal shift toward spring and fall traffic at KSSI, useful for dispatchers anticipating ramp congestion or scheduling flexibility.