Airports / Virginia / WAL
Wallops Flight Facility Airport.
Wallops Island, Virginia · 40 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.5/5
Google rating
50 ratings
0
Operators based
40
Elevation ft
Google rating
Google reviews
Field elevation
Nearest alternate
Field standing
#17 / 36
Virginia airports by Google rating
4.5★ across 50 Google ratings , ranked against 36 rated VA fields.
24 nm
To the nearest alternate
Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY), 3 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Wallops Flight Facility Airport (KWAL / WAL) sits in Wallops Island, Virginia, where it functions as a general aviation field. The airport sits 40 feet above sea level. With no scheduled airline service, it caters to private, charter, and general aviation traffic.
No charter operator is headquartered on the field, but operators routinely position aircraft into WAL for departures. When weather or ramp space demands it, nearby options are Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY, 24 nm), Ocean City Municipal Airport (OCE, 27 nm), and Patuxent River Naval Air Station (Trapnell Field) (NHK, 49 nm). With 3 runways, the longest 8,748-foot paved runway, WAL can typically accommodate aircraft as large as VIP airliners.
Charter pricing from WAL depends on aircraft category, positioning distance, and trip timing. In directories and search listings it also appears under Naval Auxiliary Air Station Chincoteague. Compare rated operators or run a route through the cost estimator to gauge pricing from Wallops Island.
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Field capability
ICAO
KWAL
IATA
WAL
FAA / Local
WAL
Elevation
40 ft
Coordinates
37.9408° N · 75.4623° W
Airspace
D · DeltaClass D, DeltaA control tower runs the immediate airspace. Pilots establish two-way radio contact before entering, typical for busy business-aviation fields.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Small
Scheduled svc
No
Elevation vs VA fields
state range 10–3,793 ft
At 40 ft, WAL sits lower than 80% of the 56 Virginia fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
3 runways
longest 8,748 ft
- 04/228,748 ft × 150 ftAsphaltLighted
- 10/288,005 ft × 200 ftAsphaltLighted
- 17/354,808 ft × 150 ftAsphaltLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 8,748 ft
WAL's 8,748 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.
- 24nmSBYSalisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional AirportSalisbury
- 27nmOCEOcean City Municipal AirportOcean City
- 49nmNHKPatuxent River Naval Air Station (Trapnell Field)Patuxent River
- 67nmLFILangley Air Force BaseHampton
- 69nmPHFNewport News Williamsburg International AirportNewport News
- 69nmWWDCape May County AirportWildwood
Location
Open the full mapKWAL · Wallops Flight Facility Airport · Wallops Island, VA
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from WAL on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| New York (TEB) | 186 nm | 50m |
| Boston (BED) | 332 nm | 1h 10m |
| Nashville (BNA) | 548 nm | 1h 40m |
| Chicago (ORD) | 621 nm | 1h 51m |
| Palm Beach (PBI) | 715 nm | 2h 4m |
| Miami (MIA) | 769 nm | 2h 11m |
| Dallas (DAL) | 1,088 nm | 2h 56m |
| Houston (HOU) | 1,104 nm | 2h 58m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use WAL?
- Wallops Flight Facility Airport's longest paved runway is 8,748 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 WAL?
- Wallops Flight Facility Airport has 3 runways; the longest measures 8,748 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- What is the nearest major airport to WAL?
- The closest alternate is Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY), about 24 nm away, followed by Ocean City Municipal Airport (OCE) at 27 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from WAL to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Boston about 1h 10m (332 nm), Nashville about 1h 40m (548 nm), Chicago about 1h 51m (621 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.