Airport type Public Elevation AMSL 632 ft / 193 m Code YAM Phone +1 705-779-3031 | Website www.saultairport.com Elevation 192 m Province Ontario | |
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Operator Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation Profiles | ||
Sault ste marie airport sets record
Sault Ste. Marie Airport, (IATA: YAM, ICAO: CYAM), is an international airport located 8.0 nautical miles (14.8 km; 9.2 mi) west-southwest of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada at the far eastern end of Lake Superior and the beginning of the St. Mary's River.
Contents
- Sault ste marie airport sets record
- History
- Operations
- General aviation operations
- Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Management Flight Training Centre
- References
History
The Canadian government opened the airport in 1961 and operated it until 1998, when it handed control over to the newly formed Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation (SSMADC) under the terms of the National Airports Policy. Of the 23 Ontario regional, local, or small airports handed over under the policy, the Sault Ste. Marie airport is the only one not affiliated with a municipality, since the city of Sault Ste. Marie declined to assume control. In 2002, the SSMADC opened Runway Park, an entertainment and recreation area, on unused airport property to help generate revenue to support the airport's operation.
Operations
The Sault Ste. Marie airport has equipment to support instrument approaches for all-weather operation, and a Nav Canada control tower. Air Canada Express operated by Jazz Air flies to Toronto Pearson International Airport six times daily using Bombardier Dash 8-100 aircraft. Porter Airlines operates four daily roundtrip flights to Toronto Billy Bishop airport during weekdays and two daily flights during the weekend. Seasonal winter charters operate using primarily Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Its runways are designed to handle medium-sized transport jets such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737; current operations to Sault Ste. Marie consist of turboprop, Bombardier Dash 8 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
In 2010, the airport ranked 34th among Canadian airports for total number of aircraft movements (landing or taking off), with 51,279 movements. In 2012, the airport increased aircraft movements up 37.6 percent to 65,941, and total passengers were up 53.7 percent to 187,554. These increases were attributed to the addition of Porter Airlines, as well as seasonal carriers Sunwing Airlines, and Air Transat.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 30 passengers.
A record number of passengers travelled through the airport in 2014, an increase of 4.4 percent from the 2013 level to reach the new record level of 195,080 passengers.
General aviation operations
The airport hosts the flight-training campus for Sault College and the Soo Aviation flying school, resulting in frequent training flights in the vicinity. The Sault Ste. Marie airport has frequent medevac, business aviation, and charter operations. It is a frequent stopping point for private pilots.
Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Management & Flight Training Centre
Sault Ste. Marie Airport is home to the Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Management Centre and Flight Training Centre. The 622-square-metre facility is the first of its kind in Ontario. It is equipped with one of the most advanced flight training devices available, which simulates the sights, sounds and motions of the CL-415 water bomber aircraft used to fight forest fires in Ontario.