Birmingham Approach BHM
Birmingham Approach (BHM) is the approach and departure control facility that public NASR records list as the primary approach control for 12 airports, 1 of them with a control tower. Pilots call it "Birmingham Approach".
Airports it serves (12)
| Airport | City | Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL) | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tower (page) |
| Albertville Regional Airport/Thomas J Brumlik Field (KBFZ) | Albertville, AL | No tower |
| Anniston Regional Airport (KANB) | Anniston, AL | No tower |
| Bessemer Airport (KEKY) | Bessemer, AL | No tower |
| Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (KBHM) | Birmingham, AL | No tower |
| Merkel Field Sylacauga Municipal Airport (KSCD) | Sylacauga, AL | No tower |
| Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (KGAD) | Gadsden, AL | No tower |
| Robbins Fld (20A) | Oneonta, AL | No tower |
| Shelby County Airport (KEET) | Alabaster, AL | No tower |
| St Clair County (KPLR) | Pell City, AL | No tower |
| Talladega Municipal Airport (KASN) | Talladega, AL | No tower |
| Walker County Airport Bevill Field (KJFX) | Jasper, AL | No tower |
Pay level
The FAA rates this facility level 8 on its scale of 4 to 12. Busier, more complex facilities get higher levels, and higher levels pay more. A fully certified controller at a level 8 facility was paid between $92,723 and $125,176 a year in 2025, before the local cost-of-living addition. Overtime, night and Sunday pay come on top.
Level: National Academies (2025), The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative, Appendix C, Table C-2, which reproduces FAA data with staffing as of September 23, 2023; the FAA may have changed the level since. Pay range: FAA pay band table effective January 12, 2025, as posted by NATCA.
Source
FAA National Airspace System Resource (NASR) data, 28-day cycle effective 2026-10-01 (FAA NASR subscription). Facility data changes every 28 days; check current FAA publications before flight.
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