Vancouver International Airport (CYVR), British Columbia
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) sits on the Fraser River delta roughly 3.32 nautical miles from downtown Vancouver, BC, serving as a major gateway on Canada's Pacific coast. The field offers three paved runways, including an 11,500-foot main strip, and full customs designation covering general aviation, seaplane, and cargo traffic.
Runways
Vancouver International Airport has three paved runways. The longest, 08R/26L, is 11,500 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
Vancouver International Airport has Canada Border Services Agency clearance available onsite, under a restricted regime rather than general clearance. The terms that apply to a given flight must be confirmed before departure.
Source: CBSA list of airports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Vancouver International Airport recorded 24,538 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June, July and August. Business aviation traffic at CYVR builds through the mid-year months, peaking in July before tapering off toward the winter.
Cross-border movements to the United States, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 2,284 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
Vancouver International Airport averages 0.2 days above 90°F in July, 10.2 freeze days in January and 0.9 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 72.3°F, and December the coldest, at 43.9°F.
Weather station is on the field. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nearby airfields
Vancouver International Airport has five airfields within 34 NM. The closest is Boundary Bay Airport (CZBB), 10.00 NM southeast.
Part of the Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at CYVR
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 CYVR.
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 options are available at CYVR?
CYVR, Vancouver International Airport, operates three paved runways. Runway 08R/26L is the longest at 11,500 feet, with an asphalt surface and 200-foot width. Runway 08L/26R measures 9,940 feet on a concrete surface, also 200 feet wide. A third runway, 13/31, provides 7,300 feet of concrete pavement at the same 200-foot width, giving crews multiple options depending on wind and traffic conditions.
What is the longest runway at Vancouver International Airport?
The longest runway at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) is 08R/26L, an asphalt surface measuring 11,500 feet in length and 200 feet wide. This runway also matches the airport's listed maximum paved runway length, making it the primary strip for heavier or longer-range aircraft. The remaining two runways at CYVR, both concrete, are shorter at 9,940 feet and 7,300 feet respectively.
Does CYVR have customs clearance available on site?
Yes, customs clearance is available on site at CYVR, Vancouver International Airport. The airport holds an Airport of Entry designation covering three categories: general AOE, AOE for seaplanes with a 15-person capacity noted, and AOE for cargo operations. This combination allows a wide range of arriving aircraft types to clear customs directly at the field rather than diverting to another port of entry.
How busy is business aviation traffic at CYVR compared to total operations?
Business aviation accounted for 24,538 operations out of 263,971 total cross-border operations recorded at CYVR, Vancouver International Airport, in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data. As Vancouver is a Canadian airport, this traffic figure reflects cross-border activity as tracked by the FAA rather than the airport's full operational count. Monthly bizav volumes ranged from a low near 1,867 operations in April to a high of 2,284 in July, showing a moderate but steady presence throughout the year.
What general aviation airports are near CYVR?
Several general aviation airports lie within range of CYVR, Vancouver International Airport, for dispatch planning. Boundary Bay Airport is closest at 10.00 nautical miles, bearing 136 degrees. Pitt Meadows Regional Airport follows at 18.66 nautical miles to the east, and Abbotsford International Airport sits further out at 33.89 nautical miles. Nanaimo Airport, across the Strait of Georgia, is 28.21 nautical miles to the west.