Northwest Alabama Regional Airport

KMSL MSL Muscle Shoals, AL

KMSL is the ICAO code for Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (IATA MSL), located in Muscle Shoals, AL.

The regional private aviation gateway to the Shoals area of northwest Alabama, serving Florence, Muscle Shoals, and the Tennessee River corridor.

Airport guide

Northwest Alabama Regional Airport sits about 8 miles southeast of Florence and within a few miles of Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. For private passengers, it is the most practical entry point into the Shoals, which has no commercial airline service worth using. The runway at KMSL is long enough to accommodate most midsize and super-midsize jets.

JA Aviation operates on the field as the primary FBO. Expect the kind of service typical of a regional general aviation airport: no slot requirements, no congestion, and quick turn times. You park, you go. The airport does not handle international arrivals with customs on-site, so trans-border itineraries need to route through a port of entry first.

The Shoals is a legitimate destination in its own right for music history, the Tennessee River lakes system, and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Shoals course. It is not a stopover city.

Getting there

Florence is about 8 miles from the terminal, roughly 12 to 15 minutes by car. Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia are all within 5 to 10 miles. Car rental is available at the airport. Dedicated black car and car service options are limited compared to larger markets, so arranging transportation in advance through the FBO or a regional provider is the better approach.

For passengers heading elsewhere in the region: Huntsville is about 80 miles east (roughly 1 hour 20 minutes). Nashville is approximately 120 miles north, about 2 hours. Birmingham is around 100 miles south, just under 2 hours.