Sault Ste. Marie Airport
IATA: YAM ICAO: CYAM WMO: 71260
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation
Location	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Time zone	EST (UTC−05:00)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL	632 ft / 193 m
Coordinates	46°29′06″N 084°30′34″W / 46.48500°N 84.50944°W / 46.48500; -84.50944
Website	saultairport.com
Map
CYAM Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario CYAM CYAM (Canada) Show map of Canada
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 04/22 6,000 1,829 Asphalt 12/30 6,000 1,829 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Number of passengers 211,277 Aircraft movements 57,376

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.

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.^[1]

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.

Historical airline jet service

• Air Canada: Bombardier CRJ-100, Bombardier CRJ-200, DC-9-30, Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-211 (Sault Ste. Marie-Toronto in 1967 to 1989 using DC-9-30 but rest was charter)
• Canadian Airlines International: Boeing 737-200 (Sault Ste. Marie-Toronto in 1987 to 1989)
• Canadian Partner: ATR 42, EMB-120 Brasilia (Sault Ste. Marie-Toronto in 1989 to 1993)
• Canadian Regional Airlines: Dash 8-100, Dash 8-300, Fokker F28 (Sault Ste. Marie-Toronto in 1993 to 2000)
• Canjet: Boeing 737-800 (Seasonal in 2010's)
• Nordair: Boeing 737-200 (Sault Ste. Marie-Toronto in 1968 to 1987)
• NorOntair: Dash 6 Twin Otter, Dash 8-100 (Sault Ste. Marie-Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie-Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie-Elliot Lake, Sault Ste. Marie-Wawa in 1971-1996)
• WestJet: Boeing 737-200 (Sault Ste. Marie-Hamilton in 2001 to 2004)

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

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 operates four daily roundtrip flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport using the Dash 8-400 and the Bombardier CRJ200. Porter Airlines operates two daily roundtrip flights to Toronto Billy Bishop Airport using the Dash 8-400. Sunwing Airlines seasonal winter charters operate every Thursday roundtrip flights to London International Airport to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (Varadero) using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.^[2] Its runways are designed to handle medium-sized transport jets such as the Airbus A320, Airbus A319 and Boeing 737; operations to Sault Ste. Marie consist of Dash 8 aircraft, and, seasonally, of Boeing 737 jets.

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a call-out basis from the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 30 passengers.^[3]

A new record number of 216,172 passengers travelled through the airport in 2018.^[4]

General aviation operations

The airport hosts the flight-training campus for Sault College and the Sault Academy of Flight 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 Canadair CL-415 water bomber aircraft used to fight forest fires in Ontario.^[5]

Statistics

Incidents and Accidents

• On May 26 2013, a Dash 8-400 operating Porter Airlines flight 689 suffered a tailstrike while landing on runway 30. There were no injuries but the aircraft received significant damage. The Transportation Safety Board cited an unstable approach that was continued to a landing as a contributing factor.^[7]
• On September 13 2014, Air Canada Jazz Flight 7794, de Havilland Dash 8-100 (Registration C-GJMI), was climbing through 4000 feet out of Sault Ste Marie's runway 22 being cleared direct to DARID nav fix, when the crew observed a light aircraft, later identified by Canadian TSB as C-FANU, about 1000 feet above them and about 3nm ahead. The captain, pilot flying, stopped the climb at 4500 feet, when the crew observed the light aircraft to enter a steep descending turn towards them. The captain banked the aircraft 30 degrees to the left in order to avoid a potential collision, the separation reduced to 0 feet vertical and 350-450 feet of horizontal separation, the Dash 8 passed to the right of the light aircraft Clear of conflict the Dash continued the climb and landed safely in Toronto. No one was injured.^[8]
• On February 24 2015, a Dash 8-102 (Registration C-GTAI) operating Air Canada Jazz Flight 7795 touched down approximately 450 feet before the threshold of runway 30 while attempting to land in conditions of poor visibility. The aircraft's landing gear as well as an approach light were damaged and required replacement. ^[9]
• On January 6 2017, a Dash 8-300 performing Air Canada Jazz flight 8319 landed on runway 30 while there was still snow removal equipment present. ^[10][11]
• On May 2 2021, a CL-415 water bomber (registration C-GOGH) unintentionally landed with gear up during a training exercise.^[12]
• On April 16 2023, Porter Airlines Flight 2691, a de Havilland Dash 8-400 (Registration C-CLQB) landed on Sault Ste Marie's runway 12 at 22:21 Local (02:21UTC Apr 17th) but overran the end of the runway and came to a stop on soft ground about 85 meters/280 feet past the end of the runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained minor if any damage.^[13]
• On November 22 2023, the airport was briefly locked down after an arriving passenger threatened to cause damage inside the airport. The individual surrendered to law enforcement open their arrival. No injuries or impact to flight operations occurred.^[14][15]