Miami-Opa Locka
Executive Airport
Miami’s business aviation field, eleven miles north of downtown. Three runways, five FBOs competing on fuel, and a set of overnight runway closures that decide more trips than anything else here.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Opa Locka at a glance
Miami-Opa Locka Executive carries the ICAO code KOPF and the identifier OPF. It sits eleven miles north of downtown Miami and is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County.
It is the county’s principal general aviation reliever and the field almost all Miami business aviation actually uses. Three runways, five FBOs and an ILS at both ends of the main runway make it unusually well equipped for a reliever airport.
The Constraint
The overnight runway closures
This is the thing to know about Opa Locka, and it is not obvious from a runway diagram.
Runway 09L/27R and runway 09R/27L are both closed daily from 0400 to 1200Z. That is roughly 2300 to 0700 local in winter. The closure exists for noise abatement to the surrounding community.
The main runway can be opened, with notice. 09L/27R is available during the closure with 60 minutes of prior permission on 305-869-1660. Runway 09R/27L has no PPR option and stays closed.
Runway 12/30 stays open throughout. At 6,800 feet with an ILS to runway 12, it handles most business aircraft, so an overnight arrival is entirely workable. What does not work is turning up in the early hours expecting the main runway without having made the call.
The airport is recorded by the FAA as noise sensitive, and flight training is separately restricted to aircraft of 40,000 pounds maximum gross takeoff weight and below, only between 0700 and 2300. That limit is on training rather than on charter, but it is part of the same picture.
Runways
Three runways, and one displaced threshold worth checking
09L/27R, 8,002 feet by 150 feet. The main runway, with an ILS at both ends. Declared distances give 8,002 feet for the takeoff run and for landing, and 8,202 feet for takeoff distance and accelerate-stop, the extra coming from a clearway. Straightforward.
12/30, 6,800 feet by 150 feet. ILS to runway 12. This is the one to look at properly. Runway 12 gives a takeoff run of 6,800 feet, a takeoff distance of 7,800 feet and an accelerate-stop of 7,000 feet, but a landing distance of only 6,000 feet because of a displaced threshold, with a 50:1 approach slope to it. Runway 30 lands the full 6,800 feet. An 800 foot difference depending on which way you arrive.
09R/27L, 4,309 feet by 100 feet. Light aircraft and helicopters. Dual traffic patterns operate here for helicopters and fixed wing.
All three are asphalt and grooved.
Traffic patterns are mandatory. Specific patterns are published for helicopter and fixed wing traffic and compliance is required, not advisory. Get them from the tower, the FBO or the airport manager, or ask for instructions on initial contact.
Taxiway width limits. Wingspans over 117 feet may not taxi on taxiway P between H and N8, and need reduced speed on taxiway T between E and T8. Taxiway R between F and G is limited to wingspans under 94 feet. Large cabin aircraft operate here routinely, but the ground routing is not unrestricted.
Why here
Opa Locka rather than Miami International
Miami International is one of the busiest international gateways in the Americas, and that is precisely the problem for a private aircraft. Fuel and parking are considerably more expensive, and the airlines get priority, especially across the heavy South American and European arrival banks.
Opa Locka exists for general aviation. Five FBOs compete for the same traffic, which keeps fuel pricing honest in a way a two-operator field never manages. The ramp, the hangarage and the maintenance provision are all built around business aircraft rather than fitted around airline operations.
Eleven miles north of downtown Miami, it is close enough for almost any Miami trip. For the overwhelming majority of private arrivals into the city, this is the field.
On the field
FBOs, fuel and customs
Five FBOs operate at Opa Locka: Atlantic Aviation, Signature Aviation, Jet Aviation, Fontainebleau Aviation and Embassair. Jet A and 100LL are both available, with sustainable aviation fuel at selected operators.
Handling is not mandatory in the regulatory sense, though every operation goes through an FBO in practice. With five of them on one field the fuel negotiation is genuinely worth having.
Advance notification service for customs is available 0800 to 2300. Miami takes very heavy Caribbean and Latin American traffic, so clearance has to be arranged through your FBO ahead of arrival rather than assumed on the day.
The field is not FAR Part 139 certificated, having no scheduled service, so there is no published ARFF index. Coast Guard Air Station Miami operates from the airport.
History
From naval air station to Miami’s private jet field
The aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss donated the land the airport was built on. It was leased to the United States Navy, and from the 1930s onward Opa Locka served as a naval air station, at one point among the busiest in the country.
Over the decades the field has hosted the Goodyear blimps and a long naval and Coast Guard presence. Coast Guard Air Station Miami still operates from the airport today.
It passed to Miami-Dade County, which owns and operates it now as the county’s principal general aviation reliever. The military infrastructure is the reason a reliever airport ended up with three runways and this much ramp, and it is why Opa Locka absorbs Miami’s private traffic as comfortably as it does.
Nearby
Opa Locka and the South Florida fields
South Florida has more business aviation capacity than anywhere else in the United States, and the choice of field is usually decided by where you are actually going.
Downtown Miami, Brickell, Coral Gables and the port. Opa Locka, without much argument. Eleven miles, five FBOs, and none of the airline priority problem.
Miami Beach and the north of the city. Opa Locka again, and it is closer than the alternatives look on a map.
Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Palm Beach. Fort Lauderdale Executive and Boca Raton are considerably closer than coming into Miami and driving north up the I-95.
Scheduled connections, heavy aircraft or a hard customs requirement. Miami International, accepting the cost and the queue.
We are building out the rest of the South Florida guides. Until they are published, the comparison above is the short version we use when an Opa Locka plan needs rethinking.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Opa Locka, answered
Can private jets land at Opa Locka?
Yes, and most Miami business aviation does. Opa Locka is the general aviation reliever for Miami International and the main private jet field for the city. The primary runway 09L/27R is 8,002 feet with an ILS at both ends, which handles everything up to and including large cabin aircraft comfortably.
What are the night closures at Opa Locka?
This is the constraint most crews miss. Runway 09L/27R and runway 09R/27L are both closed daily from 0400 to 1200Z. For 09L/27R, the main runway, you can get it opened with 60 minutes of prior permission on 305-869-1660. Runway 09R/27L stays closed for noise abatement to the surrounding community with no PPR option.
So can you actually operate into Opa Locka overnight?
Yes, but you have to plan it. Runway 12/30 stays available, at 6,800 feet with an ILS to runway 12, which is enough for most business aircraft. If you specifically need the main runway overnight, the 60-minute PPR call has to be made. Turning up at 0600Z expecting 09L is the mistake.
How many runways does Opa Locka have?
Three. 09L/27R at 8,002 feet by 150 feet with ILS to both ends. 12/30 at 6,800 feet by 150 feet with an ILS to runway 12. And 09R/27L at 4,309 feet by 100 feet, which is a light aircraft and helicopter runway. All three are asphalt and grooved. Very few reliever airports in the United States offer this much.
Do the declared distances match the runway lengths?
On 09L/27R, effectively yes: 8,002 feet for takeoff run and landing, with 8,202 feet of takeoff and accelerate-stop distance thanks to a clearway. Runway 12 is the one to check. It gives a takeoff run of 6,800 feet, a takeoff distance of 7,800 feet, an accelerate-stop of 7,000 feet, but a landing distance of only 6,000 feet because of a displaced threshold. Runway 30 lands the full 6,800 feet.
Why use Opa Locka rather than Miami International?
Cost and priority. At Miami International the fuel and parking are considerably more expensive and the airlines get precedence, particularly on the heavy South American and European arrival banks. Opa Locka is purpose-built for general aviation, has five FBOs competing for your business, and sits eleven miles north of downtown Miami. For almost every private trip into Miami it is the better field.
Which FBOs are at Opa Locka?
Five: Atlantic Aviation, Signature Aviation, Jet Aviation, Fontainebleau Aviation and Embassair. That is an unusually competitive field for a reliever airport, and it shows in the fuel pricing. Sustainable aviation fuel is available at selected operators.
Is ground handling mandatory at Opa Locka?
No. Handling is not mandatory, though in practice every operation goes through one of the five FBOs. With that many operators the negotiation is real, and it is worth pricing fuel across them rather than defaulting to the one you used last time.
Are there taxiway restrictions at Opa Locka?
Several, and they catch large cabin aircraft. Aircraft with wingspans greater than 117 feet are prohibited from taxiing on taxiway P between taxiways H and N8, and reduced speed is required on taxiway T between E and T8. Taxiway R between F and G is restricted to wingspans under 94 feet. None of these stop you operating, but they change the routing and are worth having in the brief.
Is Opa Locka 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 type and does not restrict private operations.
Can you clear customs at Opa Locka?
Advance notification service is available 0800 to 2300. Miami is a heavy international gateway and clearance arrangements at Opa Locka need to be made through your FBO ahead of arrival rather than assumed, particularly for arrivals from the Caribbean and Latin America.
Are the traffic patterns at Opa Locka mandatory?
Yes, and this is unusual enough to be worth stating. Specific traffic patterns are published for helicopters and for fixed wing traffic, and compliance is mandatory rather than advisory. Get the pattern from the tower, the FBO or the airport manager, or request specific instructions on initial contact. Dual traffic patterns operate for helicopters and fixed wing on runway 09R/27L.
What happens when the tower is closed at Opa Locka?
Lighting has to be activated. Runway 12 MALSR, PAPI on 12 and 30 and the high intensity runway lights on 12/30 can be activated on CTAF. The 09L/27R lighting, MALSR on 09L, MALS on 27R, PAPI on 09L and 27R and HIRL on 09L/27R, needs 30 minutes of prior permission on 305-869-1660 as well as CTAF.
What is the history of Opa Locka Airport?
The aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss donated the land the airport was built on. It was leased to the United States Navy and served as a naval air station from the 1930s, and over the years it has hosted the Goodyear blimps and a long naval presence. Coast Guard Air Station Miami operates from the field today. It is now owned and operated by Miami-Dade County as the county's principal general aviation reliever.
Is Opa Locka noise sensitive?
Yes, the FAA records it as a noise sensitive airport, which is what drives the overnight runway closures. Flight training is separately limited to aircraft of 40,000 pounds maximum gross takeoff weight and below, and only between 0700 and 2300. That restriction is on training rather than on charter operations, but it is part of why the field is quieter at night than its size would suggest.
What time zone is Opa Locka in?
Eastern Time, EST in winter and EDT in summer, which is UTC-5 and UTC-4 respectively.
Get Your Number
Request an Opa Locka charter
Send the aircraft, the date and the arrival time. If it falls inside the 0400 to 1200Z window we will make the 60-minute PPR call for the main runway or plan the arrival onto 12/30, and price fuel across the five FBOs rather than defaulting to one.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.