Sumter Airport (KSMS), South Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Sumter Airport (KSMS) is a public-use, non-towered field in Sumter, South Carolina, sitting roughly 74 nautical miles from the nearest metro area and positioned about 5.6 nautical miles from Shaw Air Force Base. The airport handled 1,975 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for 1,550 of those movements, placing it in Skystar's ops tier 1. Its paved 5,501-foot runway 05/23 supports a range of business jet traffic, while a shorter turf runway, 14/32, serves lighter operations.
Runways
Sumter Airport has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 05/23, is 5,501 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
Sumter Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 8am to 6pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Sumter Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Columbia Metro (KCAE), 38 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Sumter Airport recorded 1,550 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in September, October and December. Business aviation traffic at KSMS is concentrated toward the fall and winter months, with September, October, and December each recording 150 or more operations against a low of 97 in May.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 151 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is 3.3 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Sumter Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
For clearance delivery, contact Shaw Approach; when Shaw Approach is closed, contact Jacksonville ARTCC instead.
After 2000 local, pilots activate the REILS for runway 05/23 and the MIRL for runway 05/23 via CTAF. The PAPI for both runway 05 and runway 23 operates continuously.
Wildlife is present on and in the vicinity of the airport, with increased activity at dusk and dawn.
100LL fuel is available after 1700 local.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Sumter Airport has five airfields within 28 NM. The closest is Shaw AFB (KSSC), 5.60 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KSMS
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 KSMS.
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 KSMS?
Sumter Airport (KSMS) offers a paved runway, 05/23, at 5,501 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the primary runway for business aviation traffic. A second runway, 14/32, measures 3,081 feet long and 120 feet wide with a turf surface, and is unpaved. The paved runway length classifies KSMS under a maximum paved distance category of 5,501 feet, which accommodates most light and midsize business jets.
Is KSMS a towered airport?
KSMS, Sumter Airport, is non-towered, meaning there is no operating control tower on the field. Pilots coordinate movement using the common traffic advisory frequency, and the field's runway lighting, including MIRL and REILS on runway 05/23, is CTAF-activated after 2000 local. Clearance delivery is handled through Shaw Approach, with Jacksonville ARTCC as the alternate contact when Shaw Approach is closed. This arrangement is typical for a field of KSMS's traffic tier without a dedicated tower.
What fuel is available at Sumter Airport?
Sumter Airport (KSMS) stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel. Attendance for fuel and field services runs daily from 0800 to 1800 local time. A specific operational note indicates that 100LL is available after 1700, which is worth noting for pilots planning a late-day fuel stop. Jet A availability is not qualified with the same time restriction in the field's remarks.
Does KSMS have customs clearance onsite?
Sumter Airport (KSMS) does not have customs processing onsite. The nearest customs facility is at KCAE, located approximately 37.91 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance near Sumter should plan to route through KCAE rather than expecting service at the Sumter field itself. This distance is a factor to build into routing and timing for any international arrival planning near KSMS.
What is the business aviation traffic pattern at KSMS?
Sumter Airport (KSMS) recorded 1,550 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 1,975 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data. Monthly bizav operations ranged from a low of 97 in May to a high of 151 in both October and December, with September also reaching 150. Traffic shows a general concentration toward the fall and winter months, with lighter activity in late spring and early summer. This pattern is useful for dispatchers scheduling around the airport's slower periods.