2/ 5 reviews
Easy in & out
“Super convenient!!”
Candice Langston4★ on Google
Airports / Alabama / MSL
Medium airport · MSL
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama · 551 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.3/5
Google rating
80 ratings
0
Operators based
551
Elevation ft
Scheduled service
Muscle Shoals, AlabamaELEV 551 FTMedium airportScheduled service
4.3
Google rating
80
Google reviews
ratings on Google
1
FBOs on field
ramp, fuel and handling
551
Field elevation
feet above sea level
42
Nearest alternate
nm to HSV
Field standing
42 nm
To the nearest alternate
Huntsville International Airport (HSV), 2 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (KMSL / MSL) sits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where it functions as a mid-sized airport. The airport sits 551 feet above sea level. Alongside scheduled airline service, the airport handles a steady flow of private and charter traffic.
No charter operator is headquartered on the field, but operators routinely position aircraft into MSL for departures. When weather or ramp space demands it, nearby options are Huntsville International Airport (HSV, 42 nm), Redstone Army Air Field (HUA, 46 nm), and Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP, 64 nm). With 2 runways, the longest 6,693-foot paved runway, MSL can typically accommodate aircraft as large as VIP airliners.
Charter pricing from MSL depends on aircraft category, positioning distance, and trip timing. Compare rated operators or run a route through the cost estimator to gauge pricing from Muscle Shoals.
1 FBO serves KMSL. Run one? Become the preferred FBO
Ramp services
FBOs on the field
Shoals Flight Center
Your FBO? Claim it, free- Fuel
- Hangar
- Daily 06:00-18:00; available 24 hours (after-hours call-out fee $150/hr, holiday $300/hr)
- Unicom 123.05
- Wi-Fi
- Car rental
- Restrooms
- Hangar
- Maintenance
- Parking
- Fuel
- Ground handling
- +3 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
Staff & service
“Staff and crew were fantastic.”
Joe Perez5★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Northwest Alabama Regional Airport, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
KMSL
IATA
MSL
FAA / Local
MSL
Elevation
551 ft
Coordinates
34.7451° N · 87.6130° 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 AL fields
state range 17–1,032 ft
At 551 ft, MSL sits higher than 64% of the 42 Alabama fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
2 runways
longest 6,693 ft
- 11/296,693 ft × 150 ftAsphaltLighted
- 18/364,000 ft × 100 ftAsphaltLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 6,693 ft
MSL's 6,693 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.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 42nmHSVHuntsville International AirportHuntsville
- 46nmHUARedstone Army Air FieldRedstone Arsnl Huntsville
- 64nmTUPTupelo Regional AirportTupelo
- 78nmCBMColumbus Air Force BaseColumbus
- 82nmMKLMcKellar-Sipes Regional AirportJackson
- 83nmBHMBirmingham-Shuttlesworth International AirportBirmingham
Location
Open the full mapKMSL · Northwest Alabama Regional Airport · Muscle Shoals, AL
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from MSL on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 435 nm | 1h 25m |
| Dallas (DAL) | 474 nm | 1h 30m |
| Houston (HOU) | 495 nm | 1h 33m |
| Washington DC (IAD) | 549 nm | 1h 41m |
| Austin (AUS) | 577 nm | 1h 45m |
| Palm Beach (PBI) | 620 nm | 1h 51m |
| Miami (MIA) | 658 nm | 1h 56m |
| New York (TEB) | 739 nm | 2h 7m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use MSL?
- Northwest Alabama Regional Airport's longest paved runway is 6,693 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 MSL?
- Northwest Alabama Regional Airport has 2 runways; the longest measures 6,693 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- Which FBOs are at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport?
- One FBO serves MSL: Shoals Flight Center. 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 MSL?
- The closest alternate is Huntsville International Airport (HSV), about 42 nm away, followed by Redstone Army Air Field (HUA) at 46 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from MSL to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Chicago about 1h 25m (435 nm), Dallas about 1h 30m (474 nm), Houston about 1h 33m (495 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.