3/ 5 reviews
Easy in & out
“Simple little airport, easy to deal with.”
Tom Dudek5★ on Google
Airports / New Mexico / CNM
Medium airport · CNM
Cavern City Air Terminal.
Carlsbad, New Mexico · 3,295 ft elevation. 2 charter operators based here.
4.9/5
Google rating
17 ratings
2
Operators based
3,295
Elevation ft
Scheduled service
Carlsbad, New MexicoELEV 3,295 FTMedium airportScheduled service
4.9
Google rating
17
Google reviews
ratings on Google
2
Based operators
charter operators on the field
1
FBOs on field
ramp, fuel and handling
3,295
Field elevation
feet above sea level
Field standing
#2 / 29
New Mexico airports by Google rating
4.9★ across 17 Google ratings , ranked against 29 rated NM fields.
2 operators
Charter fleet based on the field
More resident charter operators than 58% of the 651 US fields with a based fleet on the register.
57 nm
To the nearest alternate
Lea County Regional Airport (HOB).
Overview
Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM / CNM) sits in Carlsbad, New Mexico, where it functions as a mid-sized airport. The field lies at an elevation of 3,295 feet. The airport supports scheduled airline service as well as private jet and charter movements.
Charter departments call it home: Civic Helicopters and TechFlight Aviation, LLC base aircraft at CNM. Useful alternates include Lea County Regional Airport (HOB, 57 nm), Roswell Air Center Airport (ROW, 59 nm), and Winkler County Airport (INK, 64 nm). CNM offers 4 runways, the longest 7,854-foot paved runway, which supports charter types through the VIP airliner class.
Quotes for flights out of CNM vary with aircraft type, repositioning, and schedule flexibility. Use the cost estimator to model a trip from CNM, or browse verified operators serving the area.
1 FBO serves KCNM. Run one? Become the preferred FBO
Ramp services
FBOs on the field
Chandler Aviation
Your FBO? Claim it, free- Fuel
- Hangar
- Mon-Fri 06:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 07:00-17:00; 24/7 self-service fuel and after-hours callouts
- Unicom 123.0
- Wi-Fi
- Courtesy car
- Car rental
- Restrooms
- Hangar
- Parking
- Fuel
- Ground handling
- +5 more
- Phone
- Website
- Address
Directory data, unpaid. FBOs can take the Preferred slot above.
What fliers highlight.
From the stored review texts
2/ 5 reviews
Terminal & facilities
“The waiting areas were comfortable and there were ports for charging devices and a vending machine with a great variety of snacks.”
Anita Chavez5★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Cavern City Air Terminal, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
KCNM
IATA
CNM
FAA / Local
CNM
Elevation
3,295 ft
Coordinates
32.3375° N · 104.2630° W
Airspace
E · EchoClass E, EchoControlled airspace reaches the surface for instrument approaches, but there is no control tower on the field.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
Yes
Elevation vs NM fields
state range 3,295–8,380 ft
At 3,295 ft, CNM sits lower than 97% of the 32 New Mexico fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
4 runways
longest 7,854 ft
- 03/217,854 ft × 150 ftAsphaltLighted
- 14R/32L5,837 ft × 100 ftAsphaltLighted
- 08/265,334 ft × 75 ftAsphaltLighted
- 14L/32R4,616 ft × 150 ftAsphaltUnlit
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 7,854 ft
CNM's 7,854 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to VIP airliners.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Based charter operators2
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 57nmHOBLea County Regional AirportHobbs
- 59nmROWRoswell Air Center AirportRoswell
- 64nmINKWinkler County AirportWink
- 93nmALMAlamogordo White Sands Regional AirportAlamogordo
- 93nmRUISierra Blanca Regional AirportAlto
- 98nmHMNHolloman Air Force BaseAlamogordo
Location
Open the full mapKCNM · Cavern City Air Terminal · Carlsbad, NM
From the ramp
Google Places photography of Cavern City Air Terminal, tap any frame to view full-screen, then cycle with the arrows or your keyboard.
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from CNM on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Austin (AUS) | 362 nm | 1h 15m |
| Dallas (DAL) | 376 nm | 1h 16m |
| Scottsdale (SCF) | 393 nm | 1h 19m |
| Aspen (ASE) | 432 nm | 1h 24m |
| Denver (DEN) | 452 nm | 1h 27m |
| Vail / Eagle (EGE) | 457 nm | 1h 28m |
| Houston (HOU) | 490 nm | 1h 32m |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 585 nm | 1h 46m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use CNM?
- Cavern City Air Terminal's longest paved runway is 7,854 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to VIP airliners. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at CNM?
- Cavern City Air Terminal has 4 runways; the longest measures 7,854 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- Are there charter operators based at CNM?
- Yes. 2 charter operators list Cavern City Air Terminal as a home base, including Civic Helicopters, TechFlight Aviation, LLC. You can also request quotes from operators that reposition aircraft into the field.
- Which FBOs are at Cavern City Air Terminal?
- One FBO serves CNM: Chandler Aviation. Phone, website, hours, unicom and services for each are listed on this page. Call ahead for fuel, ramp space, and ground handling.
- What is the nearest major airport to CNM?
- The closest alternate is Lea County Regional Airport (HOB), about 57 nm away, followed by Roswell Air Center Airport (ROW) at 59 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from CNM to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Austin about 1h 15m (362 nm), Dallas about 1h 16m (376 nm), Scottsdale about 1h 19m (393 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.