Thunder Bay International Airport (CYQT), Ontario
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Thunder Bay International Airport, CYQT, serves as a Tier 1 business aviation gateway on the north shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, sitting at 653 feet elevation. The airport holds Airport of Entry status with customs clearance available on site, and its two paved runways, including a 7,318-foot main strip, support a broad range of business aircraft. Cross-border traffic tracked by the FAA places CYQT among the more active airports in this dataset, with nearby alternates in Minnesota, Michigan, and Ontario for diversion planning.
Runways
Thunder Bay International Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 07/25, is 7,318 ft long and 200 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Customs
Thunder Bay International 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
Thunder Bay International Airport recorded 23,917 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June and July. Traffic at CYQT concentrates in July, June, and October, according to FAA TFMSC data.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 2,242 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
Thunder Bay International Airport averages 2.3 days above 90°F in July and 30.8 freeze days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76.8°F, and January the coldest, at 18.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Alternates
Thunder Bay International Airport has three alternates within 96 NM. The nearest alternate is Grand Marais / Cook County (KCKC), 53.24 NM southwest.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYQT
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 CYQT.
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 is the runway length at CYQT?
Thunder Bay International Airport, CYQT, offers two paved runways for arriving traffic. Runway 07/25 is the longer of the two at 7,318 feet, with a width of 200 feet. Runway 12/30 measures 5,297 feet long and 150 feet wide. Both surfaces are asphalt. The 7,318-foot runway is the longest paved surface at the field and accommodates larger business aircraft without length restrictions.
Does CYQT have customs clearance on site?
Yes, Thunder Bay International Airport is designated as an Airport of Entry (AOE) with customs clearance available on site. This status allows arriving international flights to clear customs directly at CYQT rather than diverting to another airport. Crews should still confirm current procedural requirements before planning a border crossing into this airport. No nearby alternate customs airport is listed in the data, reflecting the on-site AOE designation at CYQT.
What months see the highest traffic at CYQT?
Business aviation traffic at Thunder Bay International Airport peaks in July, June, and October according to FAA TFMSC data on cross-border traffic. July recorded 2,242 operations, June recorded 2,164, and October recorded 2,099, the three highest monthly totals in the year. The lowest month, September, recorded 1,765 operations. This pattern shows traffic concentrated in the summer and again in early fall at CYQT. Dispatchers planning trips into these months should expect the busiest conditions of the year.
How cold does it get at Thunder Bay International Airport in winter?
Winters at CYQT are cold, with January averaging 30.8 days below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and a monthly high temperature averaging 18.3 degrees. December and February show similarly cold patterns, with 30.3 and 27.9 days below freezing respectively. Freezing conditions extend into March and persist through November on the shoulder months. By contrast, June through August show zero or near-zero days below freezing. Crews operating into Thunder Bay International Airport during the winter months should plan for cold-weather procedures across the full season.
How many business aviation operations does CYQT handle annually?
Thunder Bay International Airport recorded 23,917 business aviation operations in 2025, out of 49,044 total annual operations, according to FAA TFMSC cross-border traffic data. This figure represents cross-border traffic tracked by the FAA rather than the airport's total activity. CYQT is classified as a Tier 1 facility, reflecting its position among the more heavily trafficked airports in this dataset. Monthly bizav operations ranged from a low of 1,765 in September to a high of 2,242 in July.