Sedona Airport sits on top of Airport Mesa, 500 feet above the center of town, which makes it the best-placed small airport in Arizona and the source of a lot of confusion. There are no airline flights here. What there is: a general aviation field with a 5,132-foot runway, helicopter and airplane tours, a restaurant with planes landing beyond the patio, a lodge on the rim, the Airport Mesa vortex a five-minute walk from the road, and the scenic lookout that most of Sedona drives up to at sunset. This guide covers all of it, plus the airports you will actually fly into. Facts checked against the airport’s own site and the operators in October 2026.
Sedona’s Best Quick Answer
You cannot fly commercially to Sedona. Fly to Phoenix Sky Harbor (115 miles, about two hours by car) for the most flights, or Flagstaff Pulliam (25 miles, about 40 minutes through Oak Creek Canyon) for American Airlines nonstops from Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth, with Delta from Salt Lake City and United from Denver announced for summer 2027. Sedona Airport (FAA SEZ, IATA SDX) handles private and charter aircraft and air tours. Drive up anyway: the Scenic Lookout costs $3 to park and has the best sunset in town.
The Airport Itself
- Identifiers: FAA SEZ (KSEZ), IATA SDX
- Elevation: 4,830 feet, on Airport Mesa (Tabletop Mesa on older maps)
- Runway: 3/21, 5,132 by 100 feet
- Owner: Yavapai County, publicly owned
- FBO: Red Rock Aviation, an Avfuel dealer, (928) 282-1046, which handles fuel and guest services and staffs “air concierges” who point visiting pilots to town
- Terminal hours: 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in spring and fall, to 8:30 p.m. May through August, to 6:30 p.m. November through February
- Address: 235 Air Terminal Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336; airport office (928) 282-4487; sedonaairport.org
The approach is the thing pilots talk about: the whole basin opens up on descent, Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock to the south, Oak Creek Canyon running north toward the San Francisco Peaks. If you fly your own aircraft in, the terminal lot is free by day and everything on the mesa is a short walk.
Flying to Sedona: the Nearest Commercial Airports
Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). The default. About 115 miles and two hours by car, with every major airline. Take I-17 north to State Route 179 for the red rock approach through the Village of Oak Creek. Our Phoenix to Sedona guide covers the routes and stops.
Flagstaff Pulliam (FLG). The closest airport with airline service, about 25 miles and 40 minutes north through Oak Creek Canyon. American Airlines flies nonstop from Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth. Two new routes have been announced: Delta Connection from Salt Lake City twice daily from June 7, 2027, and United from Denver twice daily from August 10, 2027. Flights are fewer and often pricier than Phoenix, but the drive down the canyon is one of the best arrivals in the state.
Whichever you choose, you will want a car in Sedona; see our where to stay guide for why.
The Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout
Partway up Airport Road, the paved lookout faces west over West Sedona toward Thunder Mountain, Coffeepot Rock and Chimney Rock, and it is where the town goes for sunset. Parking is $3 for the day at the lookout lot, and the Red Rock Pass is not valid here. The lot fills well before sunset in spring and fall, so arrive an hour early or walk up from the terminal lot. A small free pullout lower on Airport Road, at the saddle, serves the vortex trail and holds only a dozen cars.
Airport Mesa Vortex and Trails
The Airport Mesa vortex is the easiest of Sedona’s four to reach: a five-minute rocky climb from the saddle pullout to a knoll with a 360-degree view, the spot our readers have been sent to more than any other. The Airport Loop Trail circles the mesa below the runway, and the Sedona View Trail climbs to the lookout from a trailhead at the bottom of Airport Road for anyone who would rather walk up than fight for parking. Our Airport Mesa vortex guide has the history, the map and the sunrise and sunset advice.
Eat and Stay on the Mesa
Mesa Grill sits beside the lookout at 1185 Airport Road, in a building shaped like a wing, with small planes landing just past the patio. It serves breakfast through dinner daily, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with happy hour 3:30 to 5:30 and a heated, pet-friendly patio. Parking in the terminal lot is free by day.
Sky Ranch Lodge has been family owned on the rim of the mesa since 1982: 94 cabin-style rooms, most with a fireplace and a balcony or patio, six acres of gardens with koi ponds, and a restored 1970 Airstream as the cafe and bar. Its views are regularly called the best of any hotel in Sedona.
Air Tours from Sedona Airport
- Guidance Air has flown helicopter tours and charters from the airport since 1998. Guests check in at its hangar at 290 Shrine Road; (928) 351-1000; guidanceair.com.
- Apex Air Tours, at 1200 Airport Road, flies helicopter tours from a 20-mile loop over town (“Everything Sedona,” from $169) to 80-mile flights into the wilderness, plus airplane tours and a helicopter-and-Jeep combination; (877) 546-2099; flyapexair.com.
- Sedona Air Tours is the airplane operator, but note that its flights leave from Cottonwood Airport, 20 minutes away, from $99 for a 15 to 20 minute flight; (928) 204-5939.
Helicopter operators and the city agreed years ago to keep regular tour flights outside the city limits and between 8 a.m. and dusk, so flights head for the canyons rather than circling town. Hot air balloons do not launch from the airport; both balloon companies fly at sunrise from the Dry Creek and Red Rock Loop Road areas. See our helicopter tours guide for what the flights are like.
Sedona Airport FAQ
Does Sedona have a commercial airport?
No. Sedona Airport (SEZ) serves private, charter and tour aircraft only. The nearest airline service is Flagstaff Pulliam, 25 miles north, with American nonstops from Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth; Phoenix Sky Harbor, two hours south, has the most flights.
What is the closest airport to Sedona?
Flagstaff Pulliam is about 25 miles and 40 minutes away through Oak Creek Canyon. Phoenix Sky Harbor is about 115 miles and two hours. Most visitors fly into Phoenix for the choice of flights and rent a car.
How much does the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout cost?
Parking at the lookout lot is $3 for the day; the Red Rock Pass does not cover it. The lot fills before sunset in busy seasons, so arrive early or park in the free terminal lot and walk down.
What is the elevation of Sedona Airport?
4,830 feet, on top of Airport Mesa, about 500 feet above the center of Sedona.
Can you watch planes at Sedona Airport?
Yes. Mesa Grill’s patio sits beside the runway, and the terminal has a public lot. The airport is busiest with helicopter tours in the morning and small aircraft arriving through the day.
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