Sparwood Elk Valley Airport (CYSW), British Columbia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport (CYSW) serves the Elk Valley region of British Columbia with a single paved runway at a field elevation of 3,800 feet. Traffic at this tier 2 facility remains modest, consistent with its role supporting general and business aviation in a mountain valley setting rather than scheduled commercial service. Operators should note that customs clearance is not available onsite, with Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport (CYXC) serving as the nearest customs point roughly 38 nautical miles away.
Runways
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport has one paved runway, 17/35, 4,000 ft long and 75 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport (CYXC), 38 NM away.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport recorded 62 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June. Business aviation traffic at CYSW concentrates in the June through September window, with June posting the year's highest monthly count and November the lowest.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month June, 10 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
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport averages 4.0 days above 90°F in July, 29.1 freeze days in December and 4.1 snow days in December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76.8°F, and December the coldest, at 26.6°F.
Weather station is 5.1 NM from the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nearby airfields
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport has three airfields within 49 NM. The closest is Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport (CYXC), 37.54 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYSW
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 CYSW.
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 CYSW?
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport (CYSW) has a single paved runway, 17/35, measuring 4,000 feet long and 75 feet wide with an asphalt surface. That length matches the airport's published max paved runway figure, meaning no other runway offers a longer option at this field. Operators should plan performance calculations around this single strip and the field elevation of 3,800 feet.
Is customs clearance available at CYSW?
Sparwood Elk Valley Airport does not have customs service onsite. The nearest customs airport is CYXC, located approximately 37.54 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance should plan to route through that facility rather than expecting to clear at Sparwood directly.
How much business aviation traffic does CYSW see?
CYSW recorded 62 business aviation operations in 2025 out of 68 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC data. This places the airport at ops tier 2, reflecting modest and irregular traffic volume. Monthly counts ranged from as low as 2 in November to 10 in June, indicating a relatively thin and variable schedule.
What airports are near Sparwood Elk Valley Airport?
The closest neighboring airport to CYSW is Cranbrook / Canadian Rockies International Airport, about 37.54 nautical miles away on a bearing of 249 degrees. Pincher Creek Airport lies roughly 39.09 nautical miles to the east, and Fairmont Hot Springs Airport is about 48.57 nautical miles to the northwest. These fields offer alternate options for customs or additional services not available at Sparwood.