Nanaimo Airport (CYCD), British Columbia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Nanaimo Airport (CYCD) serves Vancouver Island as a designated Airport of Entry, with a single 6,602-foot paved runway supporting business jet and turboprop traffic. Situated roughly 31 nautical miles from its nearest metro reference point, the airport recorded 10,668 total operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, with business aviation making up a substantial share of that cross-border figure. Its proximity to Vancouver International and Victoria International airports positions CYCD as a working alternate within the greater Georgia Strait area.
Runways
Nanaimo Airport has one paved runway, 16/34, 6,602 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Nanaimo Airport has Canada Border Services Agency clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Nanaimo Airport recorded 3,221 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in January and July. Business aviation traffic at CYCD concentrates around January and July peaks, with the quieter months falling in December and February, according to FAA TFMSC data.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month January, 320 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.
Nearby airfields
Nanaimo Airport has five airfields within 47 NM. The closest is Vancouver International Airport (CYVR), 28.21 NM east.
Part of the Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYCD
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 CYCD.
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 CYCD have customs clearance on site?
Nanaimo Airport (CYCD) is designated as an Airport of Entry, with customs clearance available on site. This makes it a viable port of entry for crews arriving from the United States without a prior diversion to another terminal. Dispatchers should still confirm current CBSA procedures and hours before planning an arrival, since the AOE designation covers the clearance function itself rather than staffing availability. CYCD's status as an AOE is a key factor in its role for cross-border business aviation traffic into Vancouver Island.
How long is the runway at Nanaimo Airport?
Nanaimo Airport has a single paved runway, designated 16/34, measuring 6,602 feet long and 150 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length is sufficient for most business jet and turboprop operations without significant runway-limited weight penalties under typical conditions. The airport has no other runways, so all traffic uses this one strip regardless of wind direction. CYCD's 6,602-foot runway also matches the airport's published max paved length figure, confirming it as the longest and only paved surface at the field.
What is the business aviation traffic volume at CYCD?
CYCD recorded 3,221 business aviation operations against a total of 10,668 operations in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. As this data reflects cross-border traffic seen by the FAA rather than the airport's full domestic activity, actual total movements at Nanaimo Airport are likely higher. Business aviation accounts for roughly 30 percent of the reported cross-border figure. This places CYCD at ops tier 1, the highest activity classification tracked for this dataset.
Is business aviation traffic at Nanaimo Airport seasonal?
Yes, business aviation traffic at CYCD shows a notable seasonal pattern based on FAA TFMSC data for 2025. Monthly bizav operations peak in January at 320 and again in July at 315, while the lowest counts fall in December at 227 and February at 245. The spread between the busiest and quietest months indicates meaningful concentration rather than flat year-round demand. Dispatchers planning repositioning or slot availability at Nanaimo Airport should account for this monthly variation.
What airports are near CYCD for alternate planning?
Nanaimo Airport (CYCD) sits close to several major terminals useful for alternate planning on Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland. Vancouver International Airport lies 28.21 nautical miles away on a bearing of 73 degrees, while Victoria International Airport is 30.07 nautical miles away at a bearing of 144 degrees. Boundary Bay Airport is a further option at 33.97 nautical miles, bearing 88 degrees. These nearby fields give crews operating into CYCD multiple diversion or repositioning choices within a short distance.