Private Jet Airports in Northern Alberta and Peace River
Choosing an airfield here
What drives the choice in this area: where the traffic goes, where you can clear, and what you can land.
Overview
21 airfields serve Northern Alberta and Peace River. Grande Prairie Airport (CYQU) handles the most business aviation traffic, with 25% of the area's cross-border business jet movements , followed by Fort McMurray International Airport and Fort Saint John / North Peace Regional Airport . The area spans a wide stretch of northern Alberta and reaches into northeastern British Columbia, covering ground from Grande Prairie and Peace River through Fort McMurray, Fort Saint John, and Fort Nelson. Fields are spread out rather than clustered, with real distances between the busier airports running well past 100 NM in places. Winter operations bring cold-soak and de-icing considerations across the region, while several of the smaller strips serve communities with limited paved length. Customs clearance in the area sits at a single location, apart from the main traffic centers.
Comparison
Ten of the 21 airfields serving Northern Alberta and Peace River handle 95% of the area's business jet movements. Distance is measured from the area center, and runway length is the longest paved surface on the field.
Headline figures cover public airports only. Military and private fields stay in the list below but are excluded from the counts.
Source: FAA Form 5010 and CBP list of ports of entry.
All airfields
All 21 airfields serving Northern Alberta and Peace River, grouped by distance from the area center. Each tier carries its own scale in nautical miles, and every mark is one airfield.
Distance is measured from the area center, not from another airfield.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Seasonality
Business jet traffic across Northern Alberta and Peace River peaks in May and is lowest in September. Seven months run above the yearly average.
FAA TFMSC records a movement outside the United States only when the flight enters US airspace. This is cross-border traffic, not total activity in the area.
Source: FAA TFMSC, 22,919 business jet movements across the area, 2025.
Skystar in Northern Alberta and Peace River
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support across the area. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same trip, priced two ways.
Citation Longitude, four passengers, one night in Northern Alberta and Peace River.
At cost.
What the supplier invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the trip.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Which airport in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area has customs clearance?
CFB Cold Lake (CYOD) is the only airport in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area with onsite customs, listed as an AOE/M facility. It sits at the far eastern edge of the area, 249 NM from the center, which puts it well apart from the Peace River and Grande Prairie cluster to the west. An operator routing through the area for a border-crossing itinerary has this single clearance point to work with, and the distance from the other fields matters when planning fuel and ground legs. CYOD also carries a 12,600 ft paved surface, the longest of any field listed here.
How does business jet traffic at Grande Prairie Airport compare to Fort McMurray International Airport?
Grande Prairie Airport (CYQU) logged 5,686 business jet movements against 2,964 at Fort McMurray International Airport (CYMM) in 2025, the two highest totals in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area. The two fields sit 272 NM apart, so despite both ranking at the top of the area's traffic list, they don't draw from the same immediate catchment. CYQU also has the longer paved surface at 8,502 ft versus 7,503 ft at CYMM. Dispatchers comparing the pair are looking at two separate demand centers rather than two alternates for a single flight.
Why does business jet traffic in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area drop in September?
September is the lowest month for business jet movements in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area at 1,677, compared to a peak of 2,194 in May. The spread between peak and low months is about 500 movements, or roughly a quarter of the peak figure. Seven of twelve months run above the 1,910 average, with spring and late-year months carrying more traffic than mid-to-late summer. This pattern is useful for staffing and slot planning around the shoulder months rather than assuming flat demand year-round across the area's 21 airfields.
How far apart are Grande Prairie Airport and Fort Saint John / North Peace Regional Airport?
Grande Prairie Airport (CYQU) and Fort Saint John / North Peace Regional Airport (CYXJ) are 89 NM apart, based on their coordinates. Both rank among the area's busier fields, with CYQU handling 5,686 business jet movements against 2,703 at CYXJ in 2025. CYXJ sits across the provincial line in British Columbia while CYQU is in Alberta, so this pairing also spans the two provinces covered by the Northern Alberta and Peace River area. The distance is short enough that a dispatcher weighing either field for a single mission has real routing flexibility between them.
What is the longest paved runway among public-use airports in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area?
Among public-use airports in the Northern Alberta and Peace River area, Grande Prairie Airport (CYQU) has the longest paved surface at 8,502 ft. Fort McMurray International Airport (CYMM) follows at 7,503 ft, and Fort Saint John / North Peace Regional Airport (CYXJ) has 6,909 ft. CFB Cold Lake (CYOD) shows a longer 12,600 ft paved surface but is not counted in this public-use comparison. For operators sizing runway length against aircraft performance, CYQU offers the most paved length of the fields open to public use in this area.