Dallas
Executive Airport
Still Redbird to anyone local. Six miles southwest of downtown, the quietest of the Dallas fields, and the one where the published runway length is the least useful number on the page.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Dallas Executive at a glance
Dallas Executive Airport carries the ICAO code KRBD and the IATA code RBD. It sits six miles southwest of downtown Dallas, is owned by the City of Dallas, and serves as a designated reliever for Love Field.
It is the least congested of the Dallas general aviation options, which is its main appeal. It is also the one that most rewards reading the runway data properly before you file.
Runway
The 7,136 feet you will not get
Runway 13/31 has 7,136 feet of pavement. That is the figure almost every source publishes, and in neither direction is it the distance available to you.
Both ends carry displaced thresholds, 1,085 feet on runway 13 and 500 feet on runway 31. The declared distances are what count:
Runway 13: take-off run 6,766 ft, accelerate-stop 6,622 ft, landing distance 5,537 ft.
Runway 31: take-off run 6,051 ft, accelerate-stop 7,101 ft, landing distance 6,601 ft.
Landing on 13 you have 1,599 feet less than the pavement figure, more than a fifth of the runway gone. On a wet surface that difference decides whether an aircraft is legal into the field at all. We plan against declared distances here, never the headline number, and it is the single most common way this airport is misjudged.
There is a second runway, 17/35, at 3,800 feet by 150. Too short for most jet work but useful as a crosswind option and for the lighter and rotary traffic.
History
Redbird, and why the name changed
The City of Dallas bought 1,026 acres in 1944 to serve general aviation in the southwest of the city, and the field opened as Redbird Airport. The FAA records a civil activation date of September 1948.
It kept that name for nearly sixty years. On 27 February 2002 the city voted to rename it Dallas Executive Airport, effective 1 May, explicitly to market the field to corporate and private traffic rather than the flight training and light aviation it had become associated with.
The rebrand never fully took locally. It is still Redbird to most people in Dallas, and the FAA identifier RBD preserves the original name permanently. Worth knowing when a handler or a controller uses the old name and expects you to follow.
Operating
What it means in practice
No slots and no PPR. Handling is not mandatory, and Jet A and AVGAS are both available. The field is not FAR Part 139 certificated, having no scheduled service, so there is no published ARFF index.
The tower is staffed 0600 to 2000 with on-call cover after hours. Outside those times the runway lighting sits preset at low intensity and is pilot activated, and the operation is uncontrolled.
Approach provision is thinner than the other Dallas fields: ILS or LOC to runway 31 only, plus RNAV GPS to all four ends and a VOR to 17. In poor weather that effectively decides your landing direction, which interacts with the displaced thresholds in a way worth working through before departure rather than on the approach.
Two more things for the brief. The obstructions are close in, with 42 foot trees 201 feet from the runway and 457 feet right of centreline on the FAA record. And the Dallas Police Department bases helicopters here, so expect rotary movements in the circuit.
Nearby
Dallas Executive and the other Dallas fields
Four airports, four different catchments. This one covers the south.
Love Field is closest to downtown and the only one of the four with customs and Index C fire cover. Addison serves north Dallas and the Galleria. Dallas Fort Worth takes the heaviest aircraft. Dallas Executive is the southern option and the quietest ramp, which for some trips is worth more than facilities.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Dallas Executive, answered
Can private jets land at Dallas Executive Airport?
Yes. There are no slots and no PPR, and the field is a designated reliever for Dallas Love Field. The one thing to plan carefully is runway length, because the published 7,136 feet is not what you actually get in either direction.
How long is the runway at Dallas Executive really?
Runway 13/31 measures 7,136 feet of pavement, but both ends carry displaced thresholds, 1,085 feet on runway 13 and 500 feet on runway 31. The declared distances tell the real story. Landing on runway 13 you have 5,537 feet available, not 7,136. Landing on 31 you have 6,601. Take-off run available is 6,766 on 13 and 6,051 on 31.
Why does the displaced threshold matter here?
Because the gap is large. On runway 13 the landing distance available is 1,599 feet shorter than the pavement figure most sources publish, which is more than a fifth of the runway. For a jet arriving on a wet surface that difference decides whether the aircraft is legal into the field at all. We plan against declared distances, never the headline number.
Is there a second runway?
Yes. Runway 17/35 is 3,800 feet by 150 feet of concrete. It is short for jet operations but gives a crosswind option and serves the lighter traffic and the helicopter movements.
What are the tower hours at Dallas Executive?
The tower is staffed 0600 to 2000 local, with on-call cover after hours. Outside those hours the runway lighting is preset to low intensity and can be pilot activated. A late arrival needs briefing as an uncontrolled operation.
What instrument approaches are available?
ILS or LOC to runway 31, plus RNAV GPS to runways 13, 17, 31 and 35, and a VOR approach to runway 17. Runway 31 is the only precision approach, so in poor weather the usable direction is effectively decided for you.
Is Dallas Executive FAR Part 139 certificated?
No, because it carries no scheduled commercial service. There is no published ARFF index. That is normal for a reliever airport of this size and does not restrict private operations.
Is ground handling mandatory at Dallas Executive?
No, handling is not mandatory. Jet A and AVGAS are both available on the field.
How far is Dallas Executive from downtown Dallas?
About six miles southwest, which makes it the closest of the Dallas general aviation fields to the southern half of the city and to the convention district. For anything in north Dallas, Addison is the better answer.
Why is it called Redbird?
Because that was its name for almost sixty years. The City of Dallas bought 1,026 acres in 1944 to serve general aviation in southwest Dallas and the field opened as Redbird Airport. The city renamed it Dallas Executive Airport on 27 February 2002, effective 1 May that year, specifically to market it to corporate and private traffic. Locally it is still Redbird, and the FAA identifier RBD preserves the original name.
Dallas Executive or Love Field?
Love Field for downtown, for customs and for anything needing full runway length or Index C fire cover. Dallas Executive for the south of the city, and where a quieter field and simpler ramp access matter more than facilities. It is the least congested of the Dallas options.
Are there obstructions to brief at Dallas Executive?
Yes, and they are close in. The FAA record lists 42 foot trees 201 feet from the runway and 457 feet right of centreline, along with shorter trees nearer the threshold. Combined with the displaced thresholds this is a field to brief properly rather than treat as routine.
Does anyone else operate from the field?
Yes, the Dallas Police Department bases helicopters at Dallas Executive. It is worth expecting rotary movements in the circuit alongside fixed wing traffic.
What time zone is Dallas Executive in?
Central Time, CST in winter and CDT in summer, which is UTC-6 and UTC-5 respectively.
Get Your Number
Request a Dallas Executive charter
Send the aircraft, the route and the date. We run the numbers against the declared distances rather than the pavement figure, and we will tell you plainly if the aircraft does not fit.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.