Departure
93%
vs 95% ▼ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (KSPA) is a city-owned general aviation field just three miles from downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, long favoured by private and corporate operators. It offers a single long, lit hard-surface runway with an ILS, making it a practical and historically rich destination for VFR and IFR visitors alike.
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport is a general aviation airport owned and operated by the City of Spartanburg, sitting in the southwest part of the city off Ammons Road, about three miles from the downtown core. It functions as a gateway for business and recreational flying in the Upstate region, serving over 100 based aircraft as well as corporate jets belonging to many of Spartanburg's larger companies. Its proximity to the city centre and long history make it an interesting stop for simulator pilots exploring general aviation fields in the Carolinas.
The airport lies in the southwest section of the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina, off Ammons Road, roughly three miles from downtown. It is situated in the same general area as the much larger Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, which took over scheduled passenger service from the downtown field in 1962. The Spartanburg VOR lies about 7.2 miles to the northeast and the Fairmont NDB about 1.6 miles to the west of the field.
The airport has a single physical runway, 05/23, a hard-surfaced strip 5,192 feet long and lit for night operations. Runway 05 is equipped with an ILS approach.
Aerodrome traffic is worked as A/D on 119.4 MHz, associated with Greer Approach/Departure. Automated weather is available on the AWOS-3 frequency of 133.925 MHz. Clearance delivery is on 120.55 MHz. A radio facility listed as Anderson RDO operates on 115.7 MHz. UNICOM/CTAF is on 123 MHz. Nearby navigation aids include the Spartanburg VOR about 7.2 miles northeast of the field and the Fairmont NDB approximately 1.6 miles to the west, and the field is served by an ILS on runway 05.
The airport sits off Ammons Road in the southwest part of Spartanburg, roughly three miles from the downtown area, which serves as a useful reference for pilots orienting themselves to the field. The nearby Spartanburg VOR to the northeast and the Fairmont NDB to the west can assist in positioning for arrival.
The airport traces its origins to 1927, when it opened with a grand ceremony attended by Charles Lindbergh only months after his historic transatlantic flight. Scheduled passenger air service began the same year and continued until 1962, when it was superseded by the opening of the Greenville-Spartanburg Jetport, later renamed Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. The original 1936 terminal building still stands and was extensively renovated and expanded in 2011 as part of a $4.4 million transformation that also added two new units of T-hangars.
Today the airport is staffed by the City of Spartanburg and houses a fixed-base operator based in the historic 1936 terminal building. It serves over 100 locally based aircraft along with corporate jets and transient general aviation traffic, and is said to contribute some $15.4 million to the local economy. Recent improvements have included resurfacing of the runway, upgrades to navigation and lighting systems, an aviation-themed playground with a viewing platform completed in 2018, and ongoing work since 2024 to rehabilitate sections of the parallel taxiway to runway 5/23. The airport's published hours are Monday to Sunday, 7 AM to 7 PM.