Sault Ste. Marie Airport
Encyclopedia
Sault Ste. Marie Airport, , is an international airport located 8 NM west-southwest of the city of Sault Ste. Marie
, Ontario
, Canada
at the far eastern end of Lake Superior
and the beginning of the St. Mary's River
.
. Of the 23 Ontario regional, local, or small airports handed over under the policy, the Sault Ste. Marie airport is the only one not affiliated with a municipality, since the city of Sault Ste. Marie declined to assume control. In 2002, the SSMADC opened Runway Park, an entertainment and recreation area, on unused airport property to help generate revenue to support the airport's operation.
es for all-weather operation, as well as a NavCanada control tower
and onsite flight service station
. Its runways are designed to handle medium-sized transport jets such as the Airbus A320
and Boeing 737
; current operations to Sault Ste. Marie consist of turboprop
and Boeing 737 aircraft.
In 2010, the airport ranked 34th among Canadian airports
for total number of aircraft movements (landing or taking off), with 51,279 movements.
The airport is classifed 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 30 passengers.
as well as the Soo Aviation flying school, resulting in frequent training flights in the vicinity. It is also the site of the Ministry of Natural Resources
Fire Management Centre. In addition to these, the Sault Ste. Marie airport has frequent medevac
, business aviation, and charter operations. It is a frequent stopping point for private pilots.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the far eastern end of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and the beginning of the St. Mary's River
St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario)
The St. Marys River , sometimes written as the St. Mary's River, drains Lake Superior, starting at the end of Whitefish Bay and flowing 74.5 miles southeast into Lake Huron, with a fall of ....
.
History
The Canadian government opened the airport in 1961 and operated it until 1998, when it handed control over to the newly-formed Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation (SSMADC) under the terms of the National Airports PolicyNational Airports Policy (Canada)
The National Airports Policy is a program of the Government of Canada involving the privatization or private operation of nearly all of the country's airports that was commenced during the 1990s....
. Of the 23 Ontario regional, local, or small airports handed over under the policy, the Sault Ste. Marie airport is the only one not affiliated with a municipality, since the city of Sault Ste. Marie declined to assume control. In 2002, the SSMADC opened Runway Park, an entertainment and recreation area, on unused airport property to help generate revenue to support the airport's operation.
Airlines and destinations
Operations
The Sault Ste. Marie airport has equipment to support instrument approachInstrument approach
For aircraft operating under instrument flight rules , an instrument approach or instrument approach procedure is a series of predetermined maneuvers for the orderly transfer of an aircraft under instrument flight conditions from the beginning of the initial approach to a landing, or to a point...
es for all-weather operation, as well as a NavCanada control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
and onsite flight service station
Flight service station
A Flight Service Station is an air traffic facility that provides information and services to aircraft pilots before, during, and after flights, but unlike air traffic control , is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances or providing separation...
. Its runways are designed to handle medium-sized transport jets such as the Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
; current operations to Sault Ste. Marie consist of turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
and Boeing 737 aircraft.
In 2010, the airport ranked 34th among Canadian airports
Canada's busiest airport
The following is a list of the busiest airports in Canada. The airports are ranked by passenger traffic and aircraft movements. For each airport, the lists cite the city served by the airport as designated by Transport Canada, not necessarily the municipality where the airport is physically...
for total number of aircraft movements (landing or taking off), with 51,279 movements.
The airport is classifed as an airport of entry
Airport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
by NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 30 passengers.
General aviation operations
The airport hosts the flight-training campus for Sault CollegeSault College
Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is one of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre...
as well as the Soo Aviation flying school, resulting in frequent training flights in the vicinity. It is also the site of the Ministry of Natural Resources
Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that responsible for Ontario’s provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province...
Fire Management Centre. In addition to these, the Sault Ste. Marie airport has frequent medevac
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
, business aviation, and charter operations. It is a frequent stopping point for private pilots.
See also
- Sault Ste. Marie Water AerodromeSault Ste. Marie Water AerodromeSault Ste. Marie Water Aerodrome, , is located adjacent on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
- Sault Ste. Marie/Partridge Point Water AerodromeSault Ste. Marie/Partridge Point Water AerodromeSault Ste. Marie/Partridge Point Water Aerodrome, , is located adjacent to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.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 general aviation...