Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL), Alabama
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL) is a towered, public-use airport in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, serving as a business aviation destination roughly 44 nautical miles from the metro core it supports. The field offers a 6,498-foot primary runway alongside a shorter secondary strip, with both 100LL and Jet A fuel on hand, and recorded 13,074 total annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation accounting for the large majority of that traffic.
Runways
Tuscaloosa National Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 04/22, is 6,498 ft long and 150 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
Tuscaloosa National Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 5am to 10pm, daily, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Tuscaloosa National Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (KBHM), 48 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Tuscaloosa National Airport recorded 9,454 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October. Business aviation traffic at KTCL is notably concentrated in the fall, with October and November each posting significantly higher operations counts than other months of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 1,390 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Tuscaloosa National Airport averages 24.2 days above 90°F in July and 15.1 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91.6°F, and January the coldest, at 55.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Tuscaloosa National Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and pavement strength.
When the air traffic control tower is closed, pilots must activate the high-intensity runway lights on runway 04/22, the MALSR approach lighting on runway 04, the PAPI on runway 22, and the medium-intensity runway lights on runway 12/30 along with taxiway lighting, using the common traffic advisory frequency.
For clearance delivery when the tower is closed, contact Birmingham Approach.
Runway 12/30 is not available for Part 121 or Part 380 operations involving scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 9 passenger seats, or non-scheduled passenger-carrying flights with more than 30 passenger seats. It is lighted as a visual runway.
Birds and deer are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 1059/F/D/X/T
PCR VALUE: 50/F/C/X/T
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Tuscaloosa National Airport has five airfields within 35 NM. The closest is North Pickens, 22.20 NM northwest.
Part of the Birmingham area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KTCL
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 KTCL.
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 KTCL and where is it located?
KTCL is Tuscaloosa National Airport, a towered public-use field in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sitting at 170 feet elevation. It handles a mix of business aviation and general traffic, with FAA TFMSC data showing 13,074 annual operations in 2025, of which 9,454 were business aviation movements. The airport operates on an attendance schedule of 0500 to 2200 daily. Two paved asphalt runways serve the field, with the longer one, 04/22, measuring 6,498 feet. Both 100LL and Jet A fuel are available on the field.
How long are the runways at Tuscaloosa National Airport?
Tuscaloosa National Airport has two paved asphalt runways. Runway 04/22 is the primary strip, measuring 6,498 feet long and 150 feet wide. Runway 12/30 is shorter and narrower, at 4,000 feet long and 100 feet wide. Runway 12/30 carries a restriction barring its use by Part 121 or Part 380 scheduled passenger operations with more than 9 seats, and non-scheduled passenger operations with more than 30 seats. That runway is lighted as a visual runway.
Is customs clearance available at KTCL?
Tuscaloosa National Airport does not have customs service listed onsite. The nearest customs facility is at KBHM, located approximately 47.74 nautical miles away. Flight crews requiring customs clearance for international arrivals should plan their routing through that facility rather than expecting service at KTCL. Dispatchers building flight plans involving Tuscaloosa should factor this distance into ground transportation or repositioning arrangements for customs processing.
What happens to airfield lighting at KTCL when the tower is closed?
When the air traffic control tower at Tuscaloosa National Airport is closed, pilots must activate airfield lighting themselves using the common traffic advisory frequency. This includes the high-intensity runway lights on runway 04/22, the MALSR approach lighting system on runway 04, the PAPI on runway 22, and the medium-intensity runway lights on runway 12/30 along with taxiway lighting. For clearance delivery while the tower is closed, pilots should contact Birmingham Approach instead.
Does KTCL show seasonal traffic patterns, and are there wildlife hazards to note?
Yes, Tuscaloosa National Airport experiences a concentration of business aviation traffic in the fall months, with October and November showing notably higher operation counts than the rest of the year. Separately, the airport reports birds and deer present on and in the vicinity of the airfield, a hazard flight crews should factor into arrival and departure planning. These are two distinct operational notes: one traffic-related, one wildlife-related, both relevant to crews operating at this field.