Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL), Alberta
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) serves southern Alberta with two paved runways and an on-site customs port of entry for cross-border arrivals. Located roughly 15 nautical miles from the Lethbridge metro area, the airport handles a mix of business aviation and other traffic tracked under FAA TFMSC reporting, and ranks as a Tier 1 facility within Skystar's coverage given its comparatively higher activity level.
Runways
Lethbridge County Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 06/24, is 6,500 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
Lethbridge County 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
Lethbridge County Airport recorded 1,381 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May and October. Business aviation traffic at CYQL is concentrated in certain months, with October and May seeing the highest operation counts and August the lowest.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 140 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
Lethbridge County Airport averages 0.5 days above 90°F in July, 30.1 freeze days in January and 4.5 snow days in February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 72.7°F, and January the coldest, at 30.4°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Alternates
Lethbridge County Airport has one alternate within 48 NM. The nearest alternate is Pincher Creek Airport (CZPC), 47.07 NM west.
Part of the Southern Alberta area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYQL
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 CYQL.
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
What customs procedures apply at CYQL?
Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) is listed as an airport of entry under Canadian customs, designated AOE / CAN. Crews arriving from the United States must clear customs on site rather than diverting to another port of entry. Dispatchers should confirm current CBSA notice requirements before planning an arrival, since the AOE / CAN designation covers the port type but not the specific advance-notice window in effect. No nearest alternate customs airport is listed in the data for this location. Treat the on-site clearance as the standard routing for cross-border arrivals into CYQL.
How long are the runways at Lethbridge County Airport?
Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) has two paved asphalt runways. Runway 06/24 is the longer of the two at 6,500 feet, with a width of 200 feet. Runway 13/31 measures 5,500 feet long and 150 feet wide. Both are hard-surfaced, giving operators a choice of alignment depending on wind conditions. The 6,500-foot runway sets the airport's maximum paved runway length figure used for planning purposes.
What is the business aviation traffic volume at CYQL?
Business aviation traffic at Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) totaled 1,381 operations against 3,082 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data for 2025. As this is a Canadian airport, the FAA figures represent cross-border traffic seen by the FAA rather than the airport's total activity. CYQL carries an ops tier of 1, reflecting its higher traffic ranking within Skystar's coverage. Monthly bizav counts range from a low of 93 in August to a high of 140 in October, indicating meaningful month-to-month variation.
Is traffic at CYQL concentrated in certain months?
Yes, business aviation traffic at Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) shows notable seasonal concentration according to the monthly FAA TFMSC figures. October leads with 140 operations and May follows with 137, while August is the slowest month at 93 operations. January, April, and June also post totals above 125 operations. The spread between the busiest and quietest months is significant relative to the yearly average. Dispatchers planning repeat trips through CYQL should account for this variation when estimating ramp and handling demand.
What winter weather should crews expect at Lethbridge County Airport?
Lethbridge County Airport (CYQL) sits at an elevation of 3,048 feet and experiences cold winters typical of southern Alberta. January averages a maximum temperature of 30.4°F with roughly 30.1 days below freezing, and December is similarly cold with about 27.0 days below 32°F. Snow accumulation of one inch or more occurs on an average of 4.4 days in January and 4.5 days in February. Summer months are mild by comparison, with July reaching a 72.7°F average high and almost no days above 90°F. Crews should plan for sustained sub-freezing conditions across the winter months.