Centennial
Airport
Denver’s business aviation field, and the busiest general aviation airport in the United States. Three runways, a 24 hour tower, no slots, no PPR, and none of the restrictions that govern the mountain fields to the west.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 1 September 2026
The Airport
Centennial at a glance
Centennial Airport carries the ICAO code KAPA and the IATA code APA. It sits in Arapahoe County, about fifteen miles southeast of downtown Denver, and is operated by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority.
It is a pure general aviation airport with no scheduled commercial service, which shapes everything about how it works. There is no passenger terminal in the usual sense; the fixed base operators are the terminal.
History
From Arapahoe County to Centennial
The airport opened on 12 May 1968 as Arapahoe County Airport, built on open land southeast of Denver at a point when the metro area had not yet reached it. The surrounding development came later, which is why the field has room that comparable urban general aviation airports do not.
It was renamed Centennial in 1984, after Colorado’s nickname as the Centennial State, and a new control tower followed in 1985. That tower now runs 24 hours.
The FAA classifies Centennial as a reliever airport, meaning it exists in part to take general aviation traffic that would otherwise add to the load at Denver International. That designation is the reason the field is built and staffed the way it is despite carrying no scheduled service.
Growth has been continuous rather than dramatic. By 2023 Centennial was handling 360,725 aircraft operations, making it the busiest general aviation airport in the United States that year, at just under 900 movements a day and just over 30,000 business jet departures annually.
Airfield
Three runways, and why that matters
Centennial runs a parallel pair plus a crosswind runway. 17L/35R is the main at 10,001 feet by 100. 17R/35L is 7,001 by 75. 10/28 is 4,800 by 75. All three are asphalt and lighted.
The parallel pair is the reason the field absorbs the volume it does. Light aircraft and training traffic can work the shorter runway while business jets use the long one, so the two do not queue behind each other. At a single-runway field that mix is what creates delay.
Approaches are non-precision with PAPI. At 5,885 feet the elevation is high enough to affect take-off performance on a warm afternoon, but with 10,001 feet available the margin is generous by Colorado standards. This is the comfortable option in the region on a hot day, which is precisely what the mountain fields are not.
International
Clearing customs at Centennial
Centennial is a designated user fee airport, so customs is available but on a schedule and at a cost. Clearances run Thursday to Monday, 1100 to 1900 Mountain Time. After hours, and Tuesday or Wednesday, can be arranged with advance notice, billed at twice the normal rate. The fee itself is based on the aircraft’s maximum gross take-off weight.
The detail that catches crews out is the permission to land. It must be secured from CBP before departing the foreign port, and it is granted with a tolerance of plus or minus fifteen minutes. If the ETA slips outside that window the permission is void and has to be re-secured with the port directly. On a long sector with weather en route, fifteen minutes is not much margin, so we monitor and re-file rather than leave it to the crew on arrival.
Operating
What it means in practice
Centennial is the unrestricted option in Colorado. No slots, no PPR, no wingspan limit, no curfew, and a tower that runs around the clock. Set against Aspen, where a 95 foot wingspan limit and a 2300 curfew decide who gets in at all, that is the whole appeal.
Four fixed base operators compete on the field: jetCenters of Colorado, Modern Aviation, and Signature Aviation on both the north and south sides. That is unusual in this region and it generally means better handling pricing and better availability than the single-FBO mountain airports, where there is no alternative to negotiate against.
Jet A and AVGAS are both available, along with UL94 unleaded, and fuel supply is not the seasonal constraint it becomes further west. The field also hosts the Centennial Vertiport, one of the earlier pieces of eVTOL ground infrastructure to be stood up at a working general aviation airport.
The trade is ground time. Centennial is 211 miles from Aspen, roughly four hours by road, so it serves Denver rather than the ski resorts. It is where you land when the mountains are closed, not when they are open.
Nearby
Centennial and the Colorado fields
Centennial is the Denver-area option. The others serve the resorts, each with its own constraint.
When a weather system closes the mountain valleys entirely, Centennial is the field that stays open. It is the widest-weather alternate in Colorado rather than the closest, and the 24 hour tower is what makes it useful at the end of a long day.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Centennial, answered
Can private jets land at Centennial Airport?
Yes, and most of them do. Centennial is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States, with around 30,000 business jet departures a year. The main runway is 10,001 feet, there are no slots and no PPR, and multiple fixed base operators compete on the field.
How many runways does Centennial have?
Three. Runway 17L/35R is the main one at 10,001 feet by 100 feet. Runway 17R/35L is 7,001 by 75 feet, and runway 10/28 is 4,800 by 75 feet. All three are asphalt and lighted. That parallel pair is a large part of why the field absorbs the traffic it does.
How busy is Centennial Airport?
It was the busiest general aviation airport in the United States in 2023, with 360,725 aircraft operations. That is just under 900 movements a day. Expect a working environment with real sequencing rather than the quiet ramp some general aviation fields offer.
Does Centennial have customs?
Yes, as a designated user fee airport. Clearances are available Thursday to Monday, 1100 to 1900 Mountain Time, with after hours and Tuesday or Wednesday possible on advance notice. After hours clearances are billed at twice the normal rate, and the fee is based on the aircraft's maximum gross take-off weight.
What do I need to do before an international arrival at Centennial?
Permission to land must be secured from CBP before departing the foreign port, not on the way. It is granted with a tolerance of plus or minus fifteen minutes. If the ETA moves outside that window the permission is void and has to be re-secured with the port. That fifteen minute margin is the detail that catches crews out.
What is the elevation at Centennial and does it matter?
5,885 feet. It is high enough that density altitude affects take-off performance on a warm afternoon, but with 10,001 feet of runway the field has far more margin than the mountain airports west of Denver. It is the comfortable option in the region on a hot day.
Is Centennial FAR Part 139 certificated?
No. Centennial is not Part 139 certificated because it has no scheduled commercial service, which is the trigger for that requirement. Rescue and firefighting is provided through Arapahoe County rather than an FAA index. This is normal for a general aviation field of this size and is not a limitation on private operations.
Which FBOs operate at Centennial?
Four: jetCenters of Colorado, Modern Aviation, and Signature Aviation on both the north and south sides of the field. There is also the Centennial Vertiport for eVTOL operations. Having genuine competition on one field is rare in Colorado and it shows in handling pricing.
Is ground handling mandatory at Centennial?
No. Several fixed base operators compete on the field, which is unusual for the region and generally means better pricing and availability than the single-FBO mountain airports. We will recommend one based on the aircraft and the turnaround.
What fuel is available at Centennial?
Jet A and AVGAS 100LL, and unusually the field also carries UL94 unleaded avgas. Fuel supply here is not the constraint it can be at the mountain fields in peak season.
Do you need slots or prior permission at Centennial?
No. Centennial operates without slots and without PPR, and the tower runs 24 hours. Compared with Aspen, which has a wingspan limit and an overnight curfew, Centennial is the unrestricted option in Colorado.
When was Centennial Airport built?
It opened on 12 May 1968 as Arapahoe County Airport, on land in Arapahoe County about fifteen miles southeast of downtown Denver. It was renamed Centennial in 1984, after Colorado's nickname as the Centennial State, and a new control tower followed in 1985. It is operated by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority.
Is Centennial a good alternate for Aspen?
It is the widest-weather alternate rather than the closest. Centennial sits 211 miles from Aspen, roughly four hours by road, so it is not a short transfer. What it offers is a 24 hour tower, three runways and no restrictions, which is what you want when a weather system closes the mountain valleys entirely. For a shorter leg, Rifle or Montrose are better.
What time zone is Centennial in?
Mountain Time, MST in winter and MDT in summer, which is UTC-7 and UTC-6 respectively. Colorado observes daylight saving, so the offset changes in March and November.
Get Your Number
Request a Centennial charter
Send the route, the date and the party size. If the trip is arriving internationally we secure the CBP permission to land before departure rather than on the day, and we watch the fifteen minute tolerance.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.