Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport (CYXC), British Columbia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport (CYXC) sits at 3,082 feet elevation in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, serving as a customs point of entry for cross-border traffic into this mountain corridor. Its single paved runway and AOE/15 designation make it a practical stop for operators moving through southeastern BC rather than a high-density hub, with business aviation representing a substantial share of the airport's annual movements.
Runways
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport has one paved runway, 16/34, 6,000 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International 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
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport recorded 1,825 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in January and February. Business aviation traffic at CYXC is concentrated in the winter months of January and February, with a secondary rise in September and October.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month January, 187 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
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport averages 8.2 days above 90°F in August, 30.2 freeze days in December and 2.1 snow days in December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80.4°F, and December the coldest, at 27.0°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nearby airfields
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport has three airfields within 48 NM. The closest is Sparwood Elk Valley Airport (CYSW), 37.54 NM east.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYXC
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 CYXC.
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
Does CYXC have customs clearance on site?
Yes, Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport is designated an AOE/15 port of entry, meaning customs clearance is available on site but limited to a maximum of fifteen passengers per aircraft. Operators carrying more than fifteen persons need to make alternate arrangements before arrival. This designation places a firm cap on group size rather than leaving it to discretion. Flight crews planning charter or group movements through CYXC should confirm passenger counts against this limit well before filing. The restriction applies specifically to the customs process at this airport, not to overall airport access.
What runway does Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport offer for business jet traffic?
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport has one paved runway, designated 16/34, measuring 6,000 feet long and 150 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length and width combination supports a wide range of business jet types operating into the East Kootenay region. The airport's maximum paved runway length matches this single strip, meaning all fixed-wing traffic uses the same runway regardless of aircraft category. There is no parallel or crosswind runway option at CYXC. Operators should plan around wind conditions given the single-runway layout.
How busy is business aviation traffic at CYXC?
Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport recorded 1,825 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 5,124 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data tracking cross-border traffic. This figure reflects flights seen crossing the Canadian border rather than the airport's complete traffic count. January was the busiest month for business aviation with 187 operations, followed closely by February at 179. May was the slowest month recorded, with 112 operations. The airport carries an ops tier 1 classification, reflecting its role as a well-documented and frequently used point of entry in the region.
What are winter conditions like at Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport?
Winter at Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport brings sustained cold and regular snowfall. December and January each average around 30 days per month below freezing, and both months see roughly 2 days with an inch or more of snow accumulation. Maximum temperatures in these months stay in the high 20s Fahrenheit. February remains cold as well, with nearly 27 days below freezing on average. Operators flying into CYXC during these months should plan for de-icing and runway surface conditions consistent with a mountain airport at over 3,000 feet elevation.
Are there other airports near CYXC for diversion planning?
Several smaller airports lie within about 50 nautical miles of Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport. Sparwood Elk Valley Airport is located 37.54 nautical miles to the east, Fairmont Hot Springs Airport sits 43.39 nautical miles to the north, and an airport at Eureka is 47.38 nautical miles to the southeast. These fields are notably smaller and less equipped than CYXC and are not substitutes for its customs processing or runway length. Dispatchers should treat CYXC as the primary customs-capable option in this part of the East Kootenay region when planning routings through southeastern British Columbia.