KATL sets the scale with a 12,390 ft runway, while Georgia still has 91 non-towered public-use airports for GA flying.
The brief
Georgia flying changes quickly between the Atlanta airport cluster, coastal arrivals near Savannah, smaller non-towered fields spread across the state. The directory data lists 105 public-use airports, with 14 towered airports and 91 non-towered airports. It is a state where a pilot can brief a major terminal arrival in the morning, then fly into a quiet county airport the same day. KATL (Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta Intl) is the anchor. It has Georgia’s longest runway at 12,390 ft, five runways, tower service, ILS capability. Around Atlanta, KRYY (Cobb County Intl/McCollum Fld), KPDK (DeKalb-Peachtree), KLZU (Gwinnett County/Briscoe Fld) give GA pilots additional towered ILS options with runway lengths just over 6,000 ft. Away from Atlanta, KSAV (Savannah/Hilton Head Intl) provides a strong coastal gateway with a 9,351 ft runway at 50 ft elevation. KVLD (Valdosta Rgnl), KAGS (Augusta Rgnl at Bush Fld), KMCN (Middle Georgia Rgnl) give long-runway options across south, east, central Georgia. North Georgia adds performance planning. KDZJ (Blairsville) is the state’s highest public-use field at 1,907 ft.
Best of Georgia
Superlatives selected from the Georgia top airports list, with the why.
With a 12,390 ft runway, five runways, tower service, ILS capability, KATL is the clear heavy-airport reference for Georgia. Use it when runway length matters more than simplicity.
KSAV offers a 9,351 ft runway at 50 ft elevation, tower service, ILS capability, two FBOs. It is the strongest listed option for a coastal Georgia arrival.
KPDK stands out around Atlanta with tower service, ILS capability, a 6,001 ft runway, three FBOs. It gives GA crews more support options than any other listed Georgia field.
KVLD gives south Georgia an 8,003 ft towered ILS airport with Valdosta Flying Service listed for fuel. It is a practical stop when crossing the lower part of the state.
KMCN sits in Macon with a 6,500 ft runway, tower service, ILS capability, one FBO. It works well as a central-state IFR stop or diversion airport.
KAHN provides a 6,122 ft runway, tower service, ILS capability, one FBO at 812 ft elevation. It is a useful northeast Georgia option before terrain rises toward Blairsville.
Where pilots fly
What to know
Atlanta has nine airports in the state count, so the metro area deserves extra planning. KATL anchors the system with five runways, a 12,390 ft longest runway, tower service, ILS capability. KRYY, KPDK, KLZU give GA pilots additional towered ILS choices around the city. Expect a different pace than at the 91 non-towered fields statewide.
Georgia is unusually useful for IFR cross-country planning because 40 public-use airports have ILS. The top list is almost entirely towered ILS infrastructure, from KSAV on the coast to KAGS, KMCN, KABY, KVLD inland. That gives pilots multiple legal alternates and practice destinations, subject to current NOTAMs and Chart Supplement details.
The highest public-use field in Georgia is KDZJ at Blairsville, elevation 1,907 ft. The larger Atlanta-area reliever airports also sit near 1,000 ft, including KRYY, KPDK, KLZU. In summer heat, treat performance planning seriously even when runway lengths look comfortable. Humidity makes climb performance feel worse than the chart headline suggests.
Georgia has 105 public-use airports, but only 14 are towered. That leaves 91 non-towered fields where CTAF discipline, pattern awareness, runway condition checks matter. The state also has 94 FBOs, so services are common but not automatic. Confirm fuel availability before launching to smaller fields outside the top airport group.
Anecdotes
Georgia’s public-use airport mix is heavily GA-oriented. The state has 105 public-use airports, but only 14 are towered. That leaves 91 non-towered fields where local procedures and Chart Supplement review matter.
KATL has the longest runway in Georgia at 12,390 ft. It also has five runways, the most at any public-use airport in the state data provided for this directory.
KDZJ at Blairsville is Georgia’s highest public-use airport at 1,907 ft elevation. That makes it the field to remember when summer density altitude becomes part of a north Georgia departure plan.
Service
Ranked by services count, fuel availability, hours and host airport.
Weather
Georgia’s main weather risks are humid-season thunderstorms, low ceilings, visibility reductions from haze or fog. Afternoon convection can build quickly, especially in warm months, so earlier departures often give pilots more options. Coastal moisture affects KSAV planning, while north Georgia terrain near Blairsville can make marginal visibility less forgiving. IFR capability is widespread with 40 ILS airports, but convective weather can still close routes rather than just lower ceilings.
Training
Georgia has a useful mix for training, especially around Atlanta. KPDK, KLZU, KRYY are towered ILS airports with runways from 6,001 to 6,295 ft. KPDK also has three FBOs. For instrument cross-country work, KAHN, KMCN, KAGS, KVLD add towered ILS options outside the Atlanta cluster.
Fuel prices
Live from FBO postings · refreshed hourly
FAQ
KATL is the obvious answer for a pilot asking about Georgia's busiest airport environment. The supplied state data identifies Hartsfield/Jackson as the airport with the longest runway in Georgia at 12,390 ft. It also has five runways, more than any other field in the state. For GA pilots who want an Atlanta-area towered ILS airport with less airline-scale complexity, KRYY, KPDK, KLZU are also in the top group.
For structured practice, look first at the Atlanta-area towered ILS airports. KPDK has a 6,001 ft runway with three FBOs. KLZU has a 6,001 ft runway with two FBOs. KRYY has a 6,295 ft runway at 1,040 ft elevation. KAHN also gives northeast Georgia pilots a 6,122 ft towered ILS option. Georgia has 40 airports with ILS, so instrument work is not limited to Atlanta.
Fuel coverage is broad for a state of this size. Georgia has 94 FBOs across 105 public-use airports. The provided FBO list includes Valdosta Flying Service at KVLD, Sheltair at KLZU, HighNote Aviation at KMCN, Sheltair at KSAV. Smaller public airports can still be important fuel stops, such as Vidalia Regional Airport at KVDI, Thomaston-Upson County Airport at KOPN, Spirit Aviation at KHQU, Ware County Airport at KAYS. Check current hours with the airport operator.
The main elevation point in the supplied data is KDZJ at Blairsville, the highest public-use field in Georgia at 1,907 ft. That is not high by western mountain standards, but it matters on hot humid summer days. Atlanta-area fields are also near 1,000 ft elevation, including KRYY at 1,040 ft, KPDK at 998 ft, KLZU at 1,062 ft. Run performance calculations when density altitude rises.
For paved, supported destinations from the top list, KSAV is the coastal standout with a 9,351 ft runway, tower service, ILS capability, two FBOs. KAGS has an 8,001 ft runway serving Augusta. KAHN works well for northeast Georgia. KMCN is a central-state stop with a 6,500 ft runway. KABY gives southwest Georgia a 6,601 ft towered ILS option with one FBO.
Georgia weather planning usually centers on humidity, convective timing, low ceilings. Summer afternoons can make a morning departure much easier than a late-day return. Coastal operations near KSAV can see marine moisture, haze, low clouds. North Georgia arrivals toward the Blairsville area add terrain-driven visibility concerns. The state has 40 ILS airports, which helps, but thunderstorm avoidance can still drive routing.
