Fort Smith Airport (CYSM), Northwest Territories
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Fort Smith Airport (CYSM) serves the community of Fort Smith in Canada's Northwest Territories, sitting at 671 feet elevation. The field offers a 6,000-foot paved runway alongside a shorter composite strip, giving it capacity for a range of business aviation traffic despite its remote northern location. Customs clearance is not available onsite, with the nearest customs point, CEN9, roughly 162 nautical miles distant. The nearest comparable neighbor field, Fort Chipewyan Airport, lies about 80 nautical miles to the south.
Runways
Fort Smith Airport has two runways. The longest, 12/30, is 6,000 ft long and 100 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
Fort Smith Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is CEN9, 162 NM away.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Fort Smith Airport recorded 279 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in January. Business aviation traffic at CYSM concentrates in the winter and early spring months, with January, April, and May showing the highest activity while October sees a marked drop.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month January, 60 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
Fort Smith Airport averages 1.6 days above 90°F in July, 31.0 freeze days in January and 1.3 snow days in November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 74.5°F, and January the coldest, at 0.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Alternates
Fort Smith Airport has one alternate within 80 NM. The nearest alternate is Fort Chipewyan Airport (CYPY), 79.55 NM south.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYSM
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.
$1,200.00 catering order at CYSM.
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
Where is customs clearance handled for aircraft arriving at CYSM?
Fort Smith Airport does not have customs onsite. The nearest customs point is CEN9, located approximately 162 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from outside Canada should plan clearance through that facility before or in coordination with their arrival at CYSM. Flight planning should account for this added leg when routing into Fort Smith.
What runway options are available at Fort Smith Airport (CYSM)?
Fort Smith Airport, CYSM, offers two runways. Runway 12/30 is paved asphalt at 6,000 feet by 100 feet, suitable for most business aviation traffic. Runway 03/21 is shorter at 1,800 feet by 100 feet with a composite surface. The longer paved runway is the primary option for larger or faster aircraft.
How much business aviation traffic does CYSM see annually?
Fort Smith Airport recorded 279 business aviation operations against a total of 957 annual operations in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. This places CYSM in a moderate traffic tier for the region. Monthly activity varies considerably, with the strongest months occurring in winter and early spring. Operators should expect lighter movement in the fall.
What are winter operating conditions like at Fort Smith Airport?
Fort Smith Airport, located in the Northwest Territories, sees extended periods of freezing temperatures each winter. From November through February, days below 32°F run near or at the full month, and snow accumulation of an inch or more occurs on multiple days per month. Operators planning winter arrivals at CYSM should anticipate cold-weather ground handling and de-icing considerations.