Auburn University Regional Airport (AUO) — Serving Opelika, Auburn, and Lee County, Alabama
Auburn University Regional Airport (FAA identifier: AUO) sits on the eastern edge of Opelika, Alabama, providing general aviation services to one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the Deep South. Positioned at an elevation of 776 feet above sea level and spanning a single 6,002-foot runway (Runway 9/27), AUO serves the combined Auburn–Opelika metropolitan statistical area, home to more than 180,000 residents across Lee County. The airport is owned by the City of Auburn and managed to support both university-related aviation activity and the broader regional general aviation community.
Auburn University, located just three miles northwest of the airport on the opposite side of the city, enrolls approximately 32,000 students and operates one of the Southeast's well-regarded aerospace engineering programs. Faculty researchers, visiting lecturers, athletic staff, and university administrators rely on AUO for charter and private aircraft operations, connecting Auburn directly to research partners, corporate donors, and athletic recruiting destinations across the country. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the Department of Aerospace Engineering maintain a close relationship with the airport through instructional and research aviation activities.
The airport's 6,002-foot primary runway accommodates a wide range of general aviation piston aircraft, turboprops, and light jets. Fixed-base operator (FBO) services at AUO include 100LL and Jet-A fuel, aircraft tiedowns, hangar rentals, pilot lounges, and ground transportation coordination. The instrument approaches available at Auburn University Regional Airport — including an ILS/LOC approach to Runway 27 — make the field usable in instrument meteorological conditions, extending its utility for business aviation operators flying into the Auburn area year-round.
Opelika itself contributes substantially to AUO's activity base. The city of roughly 35,000 is the seat of Lee County government and hosts significant manufacturing, healthcare, and retail sectors. Kia Georgia's vehicle assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, approximately 20 miles to the northeast, along with Hyundai's Alabama operations, generate executive travel throughout the I-85 corridor, and AUO serves as a convenient gateway for automotive industry visitors to the region. The Opelika–Auburn area also draws visitors for Auburn University football at Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of the largest on-campus stadiums in the country, seating over 87,000. During home game weekends, AUO sees elevated traffic from alumni and fans arriving by private and charter aircraft.
For travelers needing commercial airline connections, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) lies approximately 115 miles to the west via I-85, offering nonstop service to virtually every domestic market and hundreds of international destinations. Columbus Airport (CSG) in Columbus, Georgia, roughly 40 miles to the east, provides limited regional jet service. Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), about 65 miles to the southwest, connects to additional southeastern hubs. Business travelers frequently position through AUO as a last-mile solution, arriving on private or charter aircraft to avoid the congestion of larger metro airports.
The regional general aviation network surrounding Auburn University Regional Airport includes several smaller fields that complement AUO's capabilities. Prattville Airport and Autauga County Airport to the west serve the Prattville–Millbrook corridor near Montgomery. Greenville Municipal Airport (PRN) provides a general aviation option for the south-central Alabama community of Greenville. Mac Crenshaw Memorial Airport in Brewton and Sells Airport (71AL) serve rural aviation needs further south. Together, these airports form a distributed general aviation infrastructure that allows pilots to transit across Alabama with relatively short legs between fuel and service stops.
Auburn University Regional Airport operates under the oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is classified as a general aviation reliever airport within the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). This classification qualifies the airport for federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, which have funded runway rehabilitation, lighting upgrades, and terminal facility improvements over the years. The airport's continued development is guided by an Airport Layout Plan (ALP) maintained in coordination with the Alabama Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Bureau.
Whether supporting university research missions, accommodating visiting corporate executives, serving Auburn football weekend influx, or providing a home base for local pilots, Auburn University Regional Airport plays an essential role in the economic and institutional life of Opelika and Lee County. Its combination of adequate runway length, instrument approach capability, full-service FBO operations, and proximity to one of the SEC's flagship universities makes AUO a strategically positioned general aviation facility in eastern Alabama.
Auburn University Regional Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Opelika, Alabama.
Frequently Asked Questions — Auburn University Regional Airport (AUO), Opelika, Alabama
Auburn University Regional Airport carries the FAA identifier AUO and is located on the eastern edge of Opelika, Alabama, in Lee County. The airport sits at an elevation of 776 feet MSL and is owned by the City of Auburn. It is approximately 3 miles southeast of Auburn University's main campus and about 40 miles west of Columbus, Georgia, via Interstate 85.
No. AUO is a general aviation airport and does not offer scheduled commercial airline service. Travelers needing commercial flights typically drive to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), approximately 115 miles west via I-85, or to Columbus Airport (CSG) in Georgia, about 40 miles east. Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), roughly 65 miles to the southwest, is another option for connecting regional jet service.
The fixed-base operator at Auburn University Regional Airport provides both 100LL avgas and Jet-A fuel, along with aircraft tiedown and hangar rental, pilot lounge access, and ground transportation coordination. The airport's 6,002-foot Runway 9/27 and available instrument approaches (including an ILS/LOC to Runway 27) make it accessible to turboprop and light jet operators as well as piston aircraft, with FBO staff equipped to service a broad range of aircraft types.
Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering — home to the Department of Aerospace Engineering — maintains ties to AUO for instructional and research aviation activities. University administrators, athletic staff, and faculty researchers use the airport for charter and private travel connecting Auburn to partner institutions, recruiting destinations, and research facilities nationwide. The airport also serves as a general aviation base for private pilots in the Lee County area, and local flight training operators have historically used AUO as a training environment given its manageable traffic volume and available instrument approaches.
The general aviation network in the surrounding region includes several airports that complement AUO's services. Prattville Airport and Autauga County Airport serve the Prattville area west of Montgomery. Greenville Municipal Airport (PRN) provides services for south-central Alabama. Mac Crenshaw Memorial Airport in Brewton and Sells Airport (71AL) serve pilots in the more rural counties of southern Alabama. These airports, along with AUO, form a regional general aviation network supporting pilots and businesses across east-central and southern Alabama.