Norman Wells Airport (CYVQ), Northwest Territories
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Norman Wells Airport (CYVQ) serves the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories with a single paved runway long enough to handle a range of business aircraft. Customs are not available onsite, and aircraft requiring clearance must route through Inuvik (CYEV), roughly 240 nautical miles away. The airport sits well north of the nearest metro reference point, reflecting its role as a regional hub rather than a destination tied to a larger urban market.
Runways
Norman Wells Airport has one paved runway, 10/28, 5,998 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Norman Wells Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Inuvik Mike Zubko Airport (CYEV), 240 NM away.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Norman Wells Airport recorded 324 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at CYVQ builds through summer and peaks in August, with volumes in July through September running several times higher than the winter months.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 53 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
Norman Wells Airport averages 1.2 days above 90°F in July, 31.0 freeze days in January and 1.4 snow days in November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 72.7°F, and January the coldest, at -6.5°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nearby airfields
Norman Wells Airport has one airfield within 39 NM. The closest is Tulita Airport (CZFN), 38.24 NM southeast.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYVQ
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 CYVQ.
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 runway length is available at CYVQ?
Norman Wells Airport offers a single paved runway, designated 10/28, measuring 5,998 feet long and 150 feet wide. The asphalt surface and width give operators margin for a variety of business aircraft. There is only one runway at the field, so wind alignment with 10/28 is the main planning consideration.
Is customs clearance available at Norman Wells Airport?
Customs are not offered onsite at Norman Wells Airport. The nearest customs point is Inuvik (CYEV), located approximately 240 nautical miles away. Operators arriving from outside Canada need to plan a clearance stop at CYEV or another suitable customs airport before or after a visit to CYVQ.
How much business aviation traffic does CYVQ handle?
Norman Wells Airport recorded 324 business aviation operations against 1,489 total annual operations in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. As a border-crossing traffic figure tracked by the FAA for this Canadian airport, it reflects flights seen crossing into the United States rather than the airport's full local activity. This places CYVQ in the moderate-traffic tier for the region.
What are winter conditions like at Norman Wells Airport?
Norman Wells Airport sees extended cold in winter, with January averaging a high of about -6.5°F and around 31 days below freezing that month. December and February show similarly low temperatures and near-constant sub-freezing days. Snow accumulation of an inch or more occurs on roughly one day per month through the coldest stretch, according to the climate data on file.