Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Waycross Ware County Airport is a small general-aviation field serving the city of Waycross in southeast Georgia, close to the Okefenokee Swamp. It has a long paved runway with an ILS approach and once saw scheduled airline service, making it a useful stop for VFR pilots exploring this part of the state.
Waycross Ware County Airport (KAYS) lies on the edge of Waycross, Georgia, and is owned and operated by Ware County. It is primarily a general-aviation field today, but it has a notable aviation history, having once hosted scheduled airline service, and it retains a hard-surfaced runway long enough and equipped for instrument approaches, making it a practical destination for simulator pilots flying light aircraft or turboprops in the region.
The airport sits at coordinates 31.2484, -82.3954 at an elevation of 138 feet, on the outskirts of Waycross in Ware County, Georgia. The area lies close to the Okefenokee Swamp, a large and distinctive wetland that forms a prominent landmark to the south of the city.
The airport has three paved, lit runway surfaces arranged as three physical runways. Runway 01/19 is the longest at 5,990 feet, hard-surfaced and lit, with an ILS approach available for runway 19. Runway 05/23 is 5,058 feet long and hard-surfaced. Runway 13/31 is 3,553 feet long and also hard-surfaced.
An AWOS-3 automated weather observing system broadcasts on 118.575 MHz. CTAF/UNICOM traffic is worked on 122.8 MHz. Jacksonville Center covers the airspace on 132.3 MHz, with a Macon Radio remote communications outlet available on 110.2 MHz. The airport is equipped with an ILS, associated with runway 19.
The Okefenokee Swamp lies close to Waycross and forms a large, unmistakable landmark useful for orientating toward the airport when approaching from the south.
Eastern Air Lines began scheduled passenger service into Waycross Ware County Airport on 14 November 1948, operating Douglas DC-3s twice daily on an Atlanta - Macon - Waycross - Jacksonville routing. The inauguration of the service was marked with local ceremony, including gifts sent to Atlanta's mayor, and the airport's early signage featured local imagery linked to the nearby Okefenokee Swamp. Passenger numbers at Waycross never grew significantly; by 1958 Eastern was carrying only a couple of passengers per flight on average. Scheduled airline service continued in reduced form into the 1970s and 1980s through smaller commuter carriers before ending, closing out a 36-year period of airline operations at the field.
The airport is owned and operated by Ware County, which maintains the airfield facilities and carries out daily fuel quality testing to support based and visiting aircraft. The terminal building houses historical displays relating to the airport's past, including memorabilia and a vintage Coca-Cola machine, reflecting its long-standing role in the local community.
