Colonel James Jabara Airport (KAAO), Kansas
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Colonel James Jabara Airport, KAAO, is a non-towered general aviation field in Wichita, Kansas, sharing airspace with nearby Beech Factory Airport and McConnell AFB. The field handles a business-aviation-heavy traffic mix on a single concrete runway, positioned within a busy regional network of general aviation and military airfields in the Wichita metro area.
Runways
Colonel James Jabara Airport has one paved runway, 18/36, 6,101 ft long and 100 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Colonel James Jabara Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Colonel James Jabara Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Wichita Dwight D Eisenhower National (KICT), 12 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Colonel James Jabara Airport recorded 11,663 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and September. Business aviation traffic at KAAO is more concentrated in the mid-to-late summer and early fall months, with September, June, and July posting the highest monthly volumes.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 1,125 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Colonel James Jabara Airport averages 19.6 days above 90°F in July and 26.6 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91.6°F, and January the coldest, at 43.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Colonel James Jabara Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Prior permission is required for aircraft carrying Class 1 Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives as defined by 49 CFR 173.50.
Runway 18/36 medium intensity runway lights, the MALSR on runway 18, and the REIL on runway 36 are pilot-activated via CTAF.
Beech Factory Airport's Class D airspace lies 1 mile south of runway 18.
There is no line of sight between the runway ends.
Runway 36 is designated the calm wind runway.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Migratory birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
For fuel outside normal hours, contact the FBO.
The airport is attended continuously.
McConnell AFB is 9 miles to the south, and Beech Factory Airport is 3 miles to the south.
Southerly and southeasterly VFR arrivals and departures are not recommended without ATC radar services, due to the Class D airspace of Beech Factory Airport and McConnell AFB.
VFR arrivals and departures are recommended to remain at or below 2,500 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport, due to heavy military traffic operating near 3,000 feet MSL.
Engine run-ups are not permitted on aircraft ramps.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Colonel James Jabara Airport has five airfields within 12 NM. The closest is Beech Factory (KBEC), 3.24 NM south.
Part of the Wichita area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KAAO
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 KAAO.
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 traffic does KAAO handle at Colonel James Jabara Airport?
Colonel James Jabara Airport, KAAO, recorded 13,534 total annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with 11,663 of those classified as business aviation activity. That places business aviation at roughly 86 percent of total traffic. Monthly bizav operations ranged from a low of 737 in February to a high of 1,125 in September. The airport sits under an ops tier 1 classification, reflecting its status as a frequently used general aviation facility near Wichita, Kansas.
Is there a control tower at KAAO?
KAAO, Colonel James Jabara Airport, is not towered. Pilots operate using the CTAF for traffic advisories and runway lighting activation. The single runway, 18/36, is served by MIRL, with MALSR on runway 18 and REIL on runway 36, all pilot-activated through CTAF. Because there is no tower, southerly and southeasterly VFR arrivals and departures are not recommended without ATC radar services, given the proximity of nearby Class D airspace at Beech Factory Airport and McConnell AFB.
What runway is available at Colonel James Jabara Airport?
Colonel James Jabara Airport, identified by the code KAAO, has one paved runway, designated 18/36. It measures 6,101 feet long and 100 feet wide, with a concrete surface. This single strip handles all fixed-wing traffic at the field, supporting the bulk of the airport's annual operations. Runway 36 is designated the calm wind runway. There is no line of sight between the two runway ends, a factor relevant to traffic pattern awareness for pilots operating without a tower.
How close is Colonel James Jabara Airport to other airports and military airspace?
Colonel James Jabara Airport, KAAO, sits near several other airfields, with Beech Factory Airport about 3.24 nautical miles to the south and McConnell AFB roughly 7.79 nautical miles to the south. Beech Factory's Class D airspace extends to within 1 mile south of runway 18. Heavy military traffic operates near 3,000 feet MSL in the vicinity, so VFR arrivals and departures are recommended to remain at or below 2,500 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport. Lloyd Stearman Field and Augusta Municipal are also within roughly 8 nautical miles.
Where is the nearest customs facility to KAAO?
There is no customs processing at Colonel James Jabara Airport itself. The nearest customs facility is at KICT, Wichita Dwight D Eisenhower National Airport, located approximately 11.65 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs clearance near KAAO need to route through that facility rather than clearing directly at Jabara. This distance is worth factoring into trip planning for any flight requiring a customs stop in the Wichita area.