CFB Cold Lake Airport (CYOD), Alberta
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
CFB Cold Lake (CYOD) is a Canadian military airfield in Alberta, sitting at 1,775 feet elevation and located roughly 249 nautical miles from the nearest metro area. The field offers three paved runways, including a 12,600-foot primary strip, and functions as an AOE / M customs point limited to military aircraft. Business aviation activity, as tracked by the FAA for cross-border purposes, places CYOD in ops tier 1 among documented Canadian airfields.
Runways
CFB Cold Lake Airport has three paved runways. The longest, 13L/31R, is 12,600 ft long and 200 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
CFB Cold Lake Airport has Canada Border Services Agency clearance available onsite, under a restricted regime rather than general clearance. The terms that apply to a given flight must be confirmed before departure.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
CFB Cold Lake Airport recorded 1,109 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October and December. Business aviation traffic at CFB Cold Lake concentrates most heavily in October, December, and February, with April recording the lowest monthly total.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 117 movements in 2025.
FAA TFMSC records a movement outside the United States only when the flight enters US airspace. This is cross-border traffic, not total activity at the airfield.
Source: FAA TFMSC, cross-border movements, 2025.
Climate
CFB Cold Lake Airport averages 1.3 days above 90°F in August, 30.9 freeze days in December and 1.3 snow days in November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 74.5°F, and January the coldest, at 14.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nearby airfields
CFB Cold Lake Airport has two airfields within 36 NM. The closest is Bonnyville Airport (CYBF), 17.36 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYOD
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at CYOD.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is customs available for arrivals at CYOD?
CFB Cold Lake operates as an AOE / M customs facility, meaning military aircraft only can clear customs onsite. Civilian operators cannot use CYOD as a customs point of entry under this designation. Dispatchers planning civilian flights should arrange customs clearance at another airport of entry before or after touching down here. The military restriction applies regardless of aircraft size or origin. Confirm current customs procedures with the base before filing any cross-border plan through Cold Lake.
What is the longest runway at CFB Cold Lake?
The longest runway at CFB Cold Lake is 13L/31R, measuring 12,600 feet long and 200 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length places CYOD among the longer military runways in the region, suitable for a wide range of fixed-wing aircraft. A second parallel runway, 13R/31L, adds 10,000 feet of paved length at 150 feet wide. A third runway, 04/22, provides 8,270 feet of paved surface at 200 feet wide. The three-runway layout gives Cold Lake flexibility across different wind conditions.
How much business aviation traffic does CYOD see?
CFB Cold Lake recorded 1,109 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 2,203 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data. Since Canada is the host country, this figure represents cross-border traffic as tracked by the FAA rather than the airport's full operational count. Traffic varies by month, with October showing the highest count at 117 operations and April the lowest at 65. This places CYOD in ops tier 1 for the level of documentation and traffic visibility applied to the field. Dispatchers should treat these numbers as a cross-border indicator, not a total activity figure.
What are winter conditions like at CFB Cold Lake?
CFB Cold Lake experiences cold winters, with January and December averaging around 30 days below freezing per month. Snow accumulation of one inch or more occurs on roughly one day per month from November through March, based on the climate data provided. Summer brings a marked contrast, with July highs averaging 74.5 degrees Fahrenheit and minimal days below freezing. Days above 90 degrees are rare year-round, peaking at just 1.3 days in August. Operators should plan for sustained cold-weather operations across the winter months at this airport.
Does business traffic at CFB Cold Lake concentrate in certain months?
Yes, traffic at CFB Cold Lake shows notable seasonal concentration across the year rather than an even distribution. October leads with 117 business aviation operations, followed by December at 113 and February at 110. April is the slowest month with 65 operations, roughly half the October figure. Dispatchers scheduling flights into CYOD should account for this uneven monthly pattern when planning slot availability or ground support. The variation appears across multiple months rather than a single peak season.