Davis Monthan AFB Airport (KDMA), Arizona
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) is a private-use military airfield on the southeast side of Tucson, Arizona, operating under Air Force control with a control tower and CBP inspection services available onsite. The field sits roughly 96 nautical miles from the nearest major metro reference point and handles a modest volume of business aviation traffic each year, most of it transient military and government movement rather than civilian general aviation. Access is governed by military scheduling procedures rather than commercial airport norms, and prior permission requirements apply broadly across arrival types.
Runways
Davis Monthan AFB Airport has one paved runway, 13/31, 13,645 ft long and 200 ft wide, with a bituminous surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Davis Monthan AFB Airport has A++ available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Davis Monthan AFB 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
Davis Monthan AFB Airport recorded 832 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in March. Business aviation traffic at KDMA is concentrated in certain months, with March, September, and December showing notably higher volumes than the annual average.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month March, 95 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is 2.0 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Davis Monthan AFB Airport has published operating constraints in six categories: access, runway notes, emergency arresting systems, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
Transient fuel requests can take up to two hours to arrange; aircrews should contact the fuel distribution point approximately thirty minutes prior.
Oil grades O-148 and 156 require JOAP testing; grade W-72 requires prior notice.
Restricted: distinguished visitor code 6 or above and space-available passengers require prior permission thirty minutes before arrival for block time.
Restricted: prior permission required between twenty-four hours and three weeks before arrival, coordinated through base scheduling channels; no VSTOL approach or landing permitted.
Caution: high-altitude weather balloon releases occur daily at 1100Z and 2300Z, within five miles of the Runway 13 final approach.
Restricted: transient aircraft are permitted one approach to full stop landing; if Davis Monthan is not the final destination, only one approach and departure from the pattern is allowed; multiple approaches require prior permission through base scheduling.
Miscellaneous: base weather service operates continuously; two hours' prior notice is required for a timely briefing. The automated weather observation system operates continuously; the weather office is closed on weekends and federal holidays, though contact is available for briefings.
Transient alert fleet servicing operates Monday through Friday from 1400 to 0000Z with twenty-four-hour prior permission required; after hours, weekends, holidays, and TDY visits require a credit card in advance, arranged through transient alert.
For clearance delivery when the air traffic control tower is closed, contact Tucson Approach.
Bearing strength is rated S155, T210, ST175, TT345. The assault landing zone is marked 2,000 feet from the threshold. Standard aircraft separation restrictions apply, except for a 6,000-foot separation between C-130 aircraft.
The first 2,700 feet of Runway 13 and the first 2,445 feet of Runway 31 are concrete; the middle 8,500 feet is asphalt.
Arresting hook cable BAK-12A(B) is located 125 feet into the overrun, and a second BAK-12A(B) hook is located 1,200 feet down the runway.
Arresting hook cable BAK-12A(B) is located 1,198 feet down the runway, and a second BAK-12A(B) hook is located 70 feet into the overrun.
Arresting gear: all positions use BAK-12A extension.
Noise abatement procedures are in effect, with a quiet hour from 0530 to 1300Z, except for seven-day PPR operations. Maximum climb is not authorized. Afterburner should be discontinued safely as soon as possible. Heavy departures are expected on Runway 13.
Caution: wildlife is present in the vicinity of the runway, especially from June through August.
Caution: BASH Phase II bird activity applies during the migratory season, from May 1 through September 30.
Fluid services available: special pressurized air, liquid hydrogen oxygen (LHOX), and liquid oxygen (LOX).
Restricted: the airfield is closed from 1300Z to 2100Z on the last Saturday of the month.
Miscellaneous: an ATC cooperative weather watch program is in place, including tower and sector visibility observations and pilot reports.
Miscellaneous: the weather squadron provides continuous service, and two hours' notice is required for a timely briefing.
Miscellaneous: Taxiway C between Taxiway Bravo and Taxiway Delta is limited to aircraft with a wingspan of 60 feet or less.
Mower operations occur from sunrise to sunset, March 1 through October 31.
Transient classified material storage up to Secret level is available through the wing command post; Top Secret storage requires separate coordination.
The base weather station (PMSV METRO) is out of service until further notice.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Davis Monthan AFB Airport has five airfields within 23 NM. The closest is Tucson International (KTUS), 4.19 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KDMA
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 KDMA.
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 kind of access does KDMA allow for civilian or transient aircraft?
Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) is a private-use military airfield near Tucson, AZ, and access is restricted rather than open to general civilian traffic. Transient operations require prior permission, with request windows ranging from twenty-four hours up to three weeks before arrival depending on the mission. Aircrews must coordinate through base scheduling channels, and space-available passengers need a distinguished visitor code of six or above. Multiple practice approaches also require prior coordination. Operators should not treat KDMA as a standard diversion or fuel stop without that clearance already in place.
Is fuel available at Davis Monthan AFB, and how is it arranged?
Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) lists Jet A fuel availability, categorized in the data as A++, but transient fuel service runs through a coordinated process rather than walk-up sale. Transient fuel requests can take up to two hours to arrange, and aircrews are directed to contact the fuel distribution point about thirty minutes prior to that window. This coordination requirement reflects the base's military fuel handling procedures rather than a commercial FBO model. Crews planning to uplift fuel at KDMA should build that lead time into their arrival planning.
What runway does KDMA offer, and what is notable about its construction?
Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) operates a single paved runway, 13/31, measuring 13,645 feet long and 200 feet wide with a permeable / PEM surface designation. Construction varies along its length: the first 2,700 feet of Runway 13 and the first 2,445 feet of Runway 31 are concrete, while the middle 8,500 feet is asphalt. Both runway ends are equipped with BAK-12A(B) arresting gear, with overrun distances and hook cable positions specified for each end. The runway's length and bearing strength ratings support heavy military aircraft operations.
Are there wildlife or bird activity concerns for pilots operating at KDMA?
Yes, Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) publishes cautions for both general wildlife and seasonal bird activity near the runway environment. Wildlife presence in the vicinity of the runway is flagged as a particular concern from June through August. Separately, a BASH Phase II bird activity advisory applies during the migratory season from May 1 through September 30. Pilots should also note scheduled high-altitude weather balloon releases at 1100Z and 2300Z daily, occurring within five miles of the Runway 13 final approach course.
When is Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) closed to airfield operations?
Davis Monthan AFB (KDMA) closes its airfield from 1300Z to 2100Z on the last Saturday of each month, according to the published operational remarks. Outside of that recurring closure, the base weather flight and air traffic control tower maintain continuous coverage, though base weather briefings require two hours of prior notice to be delivered on time. Mower operations also occur on the airfield from sunrise to sunset between March 1 and October 31, which pilots should anticipate as a ground activity near movement areas during those months.