Slave Lake Airport (CYZH), Alberta
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Slave Lake Airport (CYZH) serves the Slave Lake area of Alberta with a single paved runway and a traffic profile classified as tier one, reflecting well-documented cross-border activity tracked by the FAA. The field sits at 1,912 feet elevation and lies roughly 86.44 nautical miles from the nearest metro area, with the closest customs facility, CZVL, located about 102.77 nautical miles away rather than on-site.
Runways
Slave Lake Airport has one paved runway, 10/28, 5,561 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Slave Lake Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Edmonton / Villeneuve Airport (CZVL), 103 NM away.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Slave Lake Airport recorded 2,110 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at CYZH concentrates in the summer months, peaking in July, with lower activity recorded during the winter months.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 221 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
Slave Lake Airport averages 0.5 days above 90°F in July, 30.9 freeze days in December and 0.9 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 71.2°F, and January the coldest, at 17.1°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Alternates
Slave Lake Airport has one alternate within 44 NM. The nearest alternate is Swan Hills Airport, 43.34 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYZH
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 CYZH.
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
Is customs clearance available on-site at CYZH?
No, Slave Lake Airport does not have customs clearance on-site. The nearest customs facility is CZVL, located approximately 102.77 nautical miles away. Crews planning international arrivals need to route their customs clearance through that facility rather than expecting service at CYZH. This distance should be factored into fuel and routing plans for any flight requiring border clearance near Slave Lake.
What runway length is available at CYZH for business aviation operations?
Slave Lake Airport offers a single paved runway, designated 10/28, measuring 5,561 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This is the same length listed as the airport's maximum paved runway distance, meaning it defines the field's operational ceiling for larger aircraft. There is no second runway option at CYZH, so all traffic uses this one strip regardless of wind conditions. Dispatchers planning operations here should confirm aircraft performance requirements against this single 5,561-foot asphalt runway.
How much business aviation traffic does Slave Lake Airport handle?
Slave Lake Airport recorded 2,110 business aviation operations against a total of 2,189 cross-border operations tracked in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. Because CYZH is in Canada, this figure represents cross-border traffic seen by the FAA rather than the airport's total activity. July was the busiest month at 221 operations, while February saw the lowest count at 134. This traffic pattern places CYZH firmly in the tier-one category for documented business aviation activity among Canadian airports tracked by this source.
Does traffic at CYZH concentrate in certain months?
Yes, Slave Lake Airport shows a notable seasonal pattern in its business aviation traffic. Operations climb through spring and peak in July at 221 movements, then taper toward the lower counts seen in winter months like February at 134. This concentration means dispatchers should expect higher demand for ramp space and services during the summer period compared to the winter months at CYZH. Planning around this seasonal curve can help avoid unexpected congestion during peak months.
What are winter temperature conditions like at Slave Lake Airport?
Slave Lake Airport experiences sustained cold through the winter months, with average maximum temperatures of 17.1°F in January and 19.0°F in December. Days with temperatures below 32°F are frequent, reaching an average of 30.9 in December and 30.8 in January. Snow accumulation of one inch or more occurs on a small but consistent number of days across the winter, including 0.9 days in January and 0.7 days in both November and December. Crews operating into CYZH during winter should plan for cold-weather procedures given these conditions.