Yarmouth Airport

Yarmouth Airport
Final approach, runway 24
IATA: YQIICAO: CYQI
WMO: 71603
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator Yarmouth Airport Commission
Location Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia
Elevation AMSL 141 ft / 43 m
Coordinates
Website yarmouthairport.ca
Map
CYQI
Location in Nova Scotia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
06/24 6,000 1,829 Asphalt
15/33 5,000 1,524 Asphalt
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[1]
Airport Divestiture Status Report[2]
Environment Canada[3]

Yarmouth Airport (IATA: YQIICAO: CYQI) is located in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada and began as a World War II Royal Air Force training base.

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 110 passengers.[1][4]

Contents

History

In 1936 the Department of National Defence selected the site as a base for Maritime patrol aircraft. The airbase was separated in two part: East and West Camps. The West Camp was home to the Royal Canadian Air Force while the East Camp was part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. At East camp, the Royal Air Force's No. 34 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was initially located at Yarmouth from April 1942 to June 1942, but was then relocated to RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick in June 1942. In November 1942 the Royal Navy established the No. 1 Naval Air Gunnery School (NAGS) was at Yarmouth. No. 1 NAGS ceased operations in March 1945.

After the war, the airfield switch to public/commercial use when it was transferred to Transport Canada. Regular scheduled flights were started by Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA), which became known as Air Canada in 1965. Air Canada ceased flights into Yarmouth in January 2003.[5] Since then there have been several small operators who briefly provided air service between Halifax and Yarmouth, including Sou'West Air, who covered the route in 2003, and Starlink Airlines who operated between Halifax, Yarmouth and Portland, ME in 2009.[6] The latter lasted less than one year, despite a $2 million provincial government subsidy meant to carry the airline through the first few years of startup.[7] Presently, an American company, Twin Cities Air Service, provides service between Yarmouth and Portland, ME on scheduled flights several times a week.[8]

Yarmouth was transferred from Transport Canada to the Yarmouth Airport Commission Association on October 1, 1997.[2] The Commission is a nonprofit organisation and is governed by a board of volunteer directors. After taking ownership of the airport, the Commission concentrated its efforts on enhancing services and investing capital to secure the future of the airport. Upon fulfilling its 10-year commitment to Transport Canada, the Commission transferred the assets to the Yarmouth Airport Corporation, a municipal corporation who have secured the future of the airport. The manner by which its future has been secured, is yet to be disclosed.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Twin Cities Air Service Portland (ME)[9]

Facilities

Yarmouth Airport facilities include a modern airport terminal building and combined services building which houses a maintenance garage and vehicles used for clearing runways. The airport has two runways, two taxiways, separate parking aprons for both commercial and general aviation. There is a Category I instrument landing system (ILS), a VHF omnidirectional range/distance measuring equipment (VOR/DME) and a non-directional beacon (NDB).[1] The airport property has 3.16 km² (1.2 mi²) of easily accessible, industrial real estate.

The Yarmouth Airport is also home to the Tri-County Flying Association (informally known as the Yarmouth Flying Club). This non-profit flying club has a small clubhouse located on the field and operates a C172 available for rental by its members.[10]

See also

References

External links