Overview & History
Hollywood Burbank Airport (KBUR/BUR), historically known as Bob Hope Airport and Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, is the closest commercial and private-aviation gateway to the major studios in Burbank and the eastern San Fernando Valley. It is owned and operated by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and sits roughly 3 miles from downtown Burbank and about 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. A new $1.2 billion, 355,000-square-foot replacement passenger terminal is under construction (groundbreaking January 2024) with an expected opening around October 2026; the general-aviation FBO operations are separate from that commercial terminal project.
Runway Capability
The field has two asphalt runways: 15/33 at 6,886 ft (the longest) and 8/26 at 5,802 ft. The only ILS is on Runway 8, the shorter strip, because it has the clear terrain needed for the instrument approach. This matters operationally: in low IFR conditions arrivals are funneled onto the 5,802-ft Runway 8 rather than the longer 15/33, so heavy and super-midsize crews should run landing-distance numbers against the shorter runway, not just the headline 6,886 ft figure.
Charter Considerations
BUR is the practical choice when the mission is the studios, Glendale, Pasadena, or the east Valley, with Warner Bros. essentially across the street and Disney and Universal within a few miles. Light jets through super-midsize aircraft are the routine fleet here. There is no on-airport U.S. Customs, so international arrivals clear at LAX or Van Nuys (KVNY). The Jet Finder sources FAA Part 135 aircraft positioned near BUR and can compare BUR against Van Nuys for runway length, 24/7 flexibility, and aircraft availability.
Safety & Planning
BUR is a towered Class C airport (ATIS, Tower 133.9, Ground 121.9) inside the busy Los Angeles Basin airspace, immediately adjacent to Van Nuys and beneath LAX arrival flows. Terrain rises to the north and east, shaping the approach and departure procedures and the reason the ILS is confined to Runway 8. Crosswind flexibility is good thanks to the two intersecting runways. The Jet Finder vets operator certificates, insurance, and audit history before presenting any aircraft for a BUR trip.
Seasonal & Operational Factors
The most important operational rule at BUR is the voluntary nighttime curfew from 10 PM to 7 AM. It is voluntary, not mandatory: the Authority spent over $7 million on a Part 161 study seeking a mandatory curfew, but the FAA rejected the mandatory restriction in November 2009. Compliance among scheduled carriers is very high, and general-aviation operators are strongly encouraged to honor it; the field is technically 24/7 for genuine needs. Climate is dry Mediterranean with year-round VFR, a morning marine-layer 'June Gloom,' and gusty Santa Ana winds in fall and winter. Field elevation of 778 ft keeps density-altitude effects modest, though hot afternoons still reduce performance.
Regional Context
BUR is one of the Los Angeles Basin's private-aviation options alongside Van Nuys (KVNY, ~7 NM, the world's busiest GA airport with longer runways and true 24/7 operations) and LAX (~16 NM). For clients heading to the Westside, Beverly Hills, or Bel Air, or needing late-night departures, Van Nuys is often preferred; for the studio district and to avoid LAX congestion, BUR wins on proximity. Annual operations at BUR run roughly 120,000-150,000.