Arlington
Municipal Airport
The stadium airport. Sitting between Dallas and Fort Worth, four miles from AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, with a 6,080 foot runway and an ILS. For an event in Arlington nothing else comes close.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Arlington Municipal at a glance
Arlington Municipal carries the ICAO code KGKY and the identifier GKY. It sits four miles south of Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth, and is owned and operated by the City of Arlington across around 500 acres.
It functions as a general aviation reliever for both Dallas Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field. What makes it worth knowing is not its size but where it is.
Position
Why the location is the whole argument
Arlington is where the North Texas event economy sits. AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys, Globe Life Field, home of the Rangers, and Six Flags Over Texas are all within a few minutes of the airport.
From Love Field or Dallas Fort Worth those venues are thirty to forty minutes away in ordinary traffic, and considerably worse on an event day when a stadium empties at once. From Arlington Municipal they are effectively next door.
That is the entire case for this airport, and on the right day it outweighs everything the larger fields offer.
Constraints
Runway, tower, and ramp space
The runway is the real constraint. 16/34 is 6,080 feet of concrete, the shortest of the five metroplex fields we cover. Light and mid-size jets are comfortable. Super mid-size and large cabin aircraft need a longer look, and this is the only Dallas field where runway length genuinely drives aircraft selection rather than being a footnote.
The tower runs 0700 to 2100. Outside those hours the field is CTAF on 128.625 with runway lighting preset at medium intensity. An evening departure after a night fixture may well be an uncontrolled operation, which is worth knowing before the game rather than after it.
Ramp space is the binding constraint on event days. Everyone flying in has made the same calculation. For a major fixture we either book parking well ahead or plan a drop and go, where the aircraft disembarks and departs to park elsewhere, returning for the pickup. That has to be planned into the schedule and the crew duty rather than improvised.
Approach provision is reasonable for the size: ILS or LOC/DME to runway 34 with precision markings, plus RNAV GPS to both ends. Runway 16 is non-precision, so in poor weather your direction is chosen for you.
History
A city airport, built for the city
Arlington Municipal was established in 1964, with the FAA recording a civil activation date of May 1971. It has always been municipally owned and operated, built to serve a city that at the time sat quietly between two larger neighbours.
What changed was Arlington itself. The Rangers arrived in 1972, Six Flags had opened in 1961, and AT&T Stadium followed in 2009. A modest city airfield ended up four miles from one of the densest concentrations of major-event capacity in the United States, without the airport itself changing much at all.
Operating
What it means in practice
No slots, no PPR, handling not mandatory. Jet A and AVGAS are both available, including Jet A with additive. The field is not FAR Part 139 certificated, having no scheduled service, so there is no published ARFF index.
One published obstruction: 36 foot trees 1,235 feet from the runway and 188 feet left of centreline on a 28:1 slope. Further out than the obstructions at Dallas Executive and less of a factor, but it belongs in the brief.
Nearby
Arlington and the metroplex fields
Five airports serve Dallas Fort Worth. Arlington is the specialist.
Love Field for downtown Dallas. Addison for the north and the Galleria. Dallas Executive for the south. Dallas Fort Worth when the aircraft or the customs requirement demands it. Arlington when the destination is the stadium district, and only then.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Arlington, answered
Can private jets land at Arlington Municipal?
Yes. Runway 16/34 is 6,080 feet of concrete, which suits light and mid-size jets comfortably. There are no slots and no PPR. For super mid-size and large cabin aircraft the runway is the limiting factor and Love Field or Dallas Fort Worth are the better filing.
Why would you use Arlington rather than the Dallas fields?
Position. Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth rather than inside either, and the airport is four miles south of the city centre. Arlington is where AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Six Flags are, so for anything in that district this is by a wide margin the closest field.
What are the tower hours at Arlington?
The tower operates 0700 to 2100 local. Outside those hours the field reverts to CTAF on 128.625 and runway lighting sits preset at medium intensity. A late arrival or an early departure is an uncontrolled operation and should be briefed as one.
Does Arlington have an instrument approach?
Yes. There is an ILS or LOC/DME to runway 34, which carries precision markings, plus RNAV GPS to both ends. Runway 16 is non-precision. In poor weather that effectively decides your landing direction.
How long is the runway at Arlington?
6,080 feet by 100 feet, in concrete. It is the shortest of the five Dallas Fort Worth metroplex fields we cover, and the only one where runway length is a genuine aircraft-selection constraint rather than a footnote.
Is Arlington 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 and does not restrict private operations.
Is ground handling mandatory at Arlington?
No. Handling is not mandatory. Jet A and AVGAS are both available, including Jet A with additive.
Is Arlington a good choice for a game or an event?
It is the obvious one. The stadium district is minutes away rather than the thirty to forty minutes you would spend from Love Field or Dallas Fort Worth in event traffic. The constraint is ramp space, because everyone else has the same idea. For a major fixture we book parking well ahead or plan a drop and go.
What is a drop and go, and why does it matter here?
The aircraft lands, disembarks passengers and departs to park elsewhere, returning for the pickup. On a field this size during a sold-out event it is often the only way to use Arlington at all, and it needs planning into the schedule and the crew duty rather than being improvised on the day.
Do you need slots or prior permission at Arlington?
No slots and no PPR. Ramp availability during major events is the real gate, not permission.
When was Arlington Municipal built?
The airport was established in 1964, with the FAA recording a civil activation date of May 1971. It covers around 500 acres, is owned and operated by the City of Arlington, and functions as a general aviation reliever for both Dallas Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field.
Arlington or Dallas Executive?
Both are quieter alternatives to the main fields. Dallas Executive covers the south of Dallas and has more runway at 7,136 feet of pavement, though its declared distances are considerably shorter. Arlington is further west, closer to Fort Worth and the stadium district, with a shorter but undisplaced runway. For the Arlington venues there is no contest.
Are there obstructions to brief at Arlington?
One on the FAA record: 36 foot trees 1,235 feet from the runway and 188 feet left of centreline, on a 28:1 slope. Further out than the obstructions at Dallas Executive and less of a factor, but it belongs in the brief.
What time zone is Arlington in?
Central Time, CST in winter and CDT in summer, which is UTC-6 and UTC-5 respectively.
Get Your Number
Request an Arlington charter
Send the aircraft, the date and the event. We will confirm the runway suits the aircraft, secure ramp parking ahead of the fixture, and plan a drop and go if the field is full rather than discovering it on arrival.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.