Introduction
When flying to Canada with a General Aviation aircraft, you must report to the CBSA by telephone. Travelers on private, company-owned, or charter aircraft carrying no more than 15 people (including the crew), must call the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) to get authorization from the CBSA to enter or return to Canada.
General aviation aircraft must land at an approved airport of entry (AOE) during the CBSA's hours of business.
If the aircraft is carrying more than 15 people, the pilot has to contact the CBSA office at the proposed AOE in advance to arrange for customs clearance on arrival.
Most Canadian airports near the U.S. border, as well as larger ones further north, are most likely to be designated airports of entry. Canada Customs operating hours vary from one airport to another. Smaller airports might only offer weekday service, but busier airports will have customs service at all hours including weekends.
There is also a special program called CANPASS which allows pilots to land at additional airports outside normal operating hours, but that requires a special application and an annual fee and is really only intended for frequent travelers (regarding CANPASS read more here http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpass/menu-eng.html).
Below is a list of airports of entry in Canada.
AOE Airports of Entry
Airport Name Province
| Calgary International Airport | Alberta |
| Coutts/Ross International Airport | Alberta |
| EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Alberta |
| Lethbridge Airport | Alberta |
| Whetstone International Airport (Del Bonita) | Alberta |
| Abbotsford International Airport | British Columbia |
| Atlin Airport | British Columbia |
| Boundary Bay Airport | British Columbia |
| CRANBROOK CBSA OFFICE/CRANBROOK AIRPORT | British Columbia |
| Campbell River Airport | British Columbia |
| Castlegar Airport | British Columbia |
| Eckharts Airport | British Columbia |
| KAMLOOPS AIRPORT | British Columbia |
| KELOWNA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | British Columbia |
| Nanaimo Airport | British Columbia |
| PENTICTON AIRPORT | British Columbia |
| PRINCE GEORGE AIRPORT | British Columbia |
| Port Hardy Airport | British Columbia |
| Prince Rupert Airport | British Columbia |
| Vancouver International Airport Passenger Operations | British Columbia |
| Vancouver International AirportSmall Aircraft Reporting Station | British Columbia |
| Victoria International Airport | British Columbia |
| Brandon Airport | Manitoba |
| International Peace Garden AirportBoissevain | Manitoba |
| Piney Pinecreek Border Airport | Manitoba |
| WINNIPEG JAMES ARMSTRONG RICHARDSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Manitoba |
| Edmundston Airport | New Brunswick |
| Florenceville Airport | New Brunswick |
| Fredericton International Airport | New Brunswick |
| Grand Manan Airport | New Brunswick |
| Greater Moncton International Airport | New Brunswick |
| Saint John Airport | New Brunswick |
| St. Stephen Airport | New Brunswick |
| Deer Lake Regional Airport | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| GANDER CBSA OFFICE/GANDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Goose Bay Airport | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| St. John's International Airport | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Stephenville International Airport | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Winterland/Marystown Airport | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Inuvik Mike Zubko Airport | Northwest Territories |
| Tuktoyaktuk James Gruben Airport | Northwest Territories |
| Yellowknife Airport | Northwest Territories |
| Halifax Stanfield International Airport | Nova Scotia |
| JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport | Nova Scotia |
| Port Hawkesbury Airport | Nova Scotia |
| Yarmouth Airport | Nova Scotia |
| IQALUIT AIRPORT | Nunavut |
| BILLY BISHOP TORONTO CITY AIRPORT | Ontario |
| Brantford Airport | Ontario |
| Collingwood Regional Airport | Ontario |
| Cornwall Regional Airport | Ontario |
| Fort Frances Airport | Ontario |
| Gananoque Airport | Ontario |
| Goderich Airport | Ontario |
| Gore Bay Airport | Ontario |
| Guelph Airport (Air Park) | Ontario |
| HAMILTON CBSA OFFICE/JOHN C. MUNRO HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Ontario |
| KITCHENER-WATERLOO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (Region of) | Ontario |
| Kenora Airport | Ontario |
| Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport | Ontario |
| LONDON CBSA OFFICE/LONDON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Ontario |
| Lake Simcoe Regional Airport | Ontario |
| Manitoulin East Municipal Airport (Manitowaning) | Ontario |
| Muskoka Airport | Ontario |
| NORTH BAY CBSA OFFICE/JACK GARLAND AIRPORT | Ontario |
| Niagara District Airport | Ontario |
| OTTAWA MACDONALD-CARTIER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Ontario |
| Orillia/Lake St. John (Seaplanes) | Ontario |
| Oshawa Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport | Ontario |
| Pelee Island Airport | Ontario |
| Peterborough Airport | Ontario |
| Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport | Ontario |
| Saugeen Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Sault Ste. Marie Airport | Ontario |
| St. Thomas Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Stratford Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Sudbury Airport | Ontario |
| Thunder Bay International Airport | Ontario |
| Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport - Terminal I | Ontario |
| Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport - Terminal III | Ontario |
| Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Wiarton (Keppel) Airport | Ontario |
| Windsor Airport | Ontario |
| Wingham Municipal Airport | Ontario |
| Charlottetown Airport | Prince Edward Island |
| Bromont Airport | Quebec |
| CFB Bagotville Airport | Quebec |
| Drummondville Airport | Quebec |
| Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport | Quebec |
| Iles-de-la-Madeleine Airport | Quebec |
| Jean Lesage International Airport | Quebec |
| La Macaza - Mont Tremblant International | Quebec |
| Lac-à-la-Tortue Airport | Quebec |
| Lachute Airport | Quebec |
| MONTREAL-PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | Quebec |
| Montreal St-Hubert Longueuil Airport | Quebec |
| Montreal-Mirabel International Airport | Quebec |
| Sept-Iles Airport | Quebec |
| Sherbrooke Airport | Quebec |
| Trois-Rivières Airport | Quebec |
| Ville St-Georges Airport | Quebec |
| Regina International Airport | Saskatchewan |
| Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport | Saskatchewan |
| Scobey Border Station Airport (Coronach) | Saskatchewan |
| WEST POPLAR RIVER | Saskatchewan |
| Beaver Creek Airport | Yukon |
| Dawson City Airport | Yukon |
| Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport | Yukon |
| Old Crow Airport | Yukon |
Further detailed information on airports of entry can also be found on the Canada Border Services Agency website
Great Place to Spend Your Weekend
Canada is well known for its vast, untouched landscape. You can't miss paying a visit to some of the major national parks!
Located in the province of Alberta, the Banff National Park is not only Canada’s first national park but also one of the nation’s largest and most visited national parks. The park’s breathtaking scenery and wildlife draw many tourists every year along the Trans-Canada Highway, which passes through the park.
Banff is easily accessible from the Calgary International Airport and you can easily get there with the help of RocketRoute! Flight plans filed through the RR system go directly to Nav Canada. Join free and give it a try today!
Below you can find an example routing made with RocketRoute from KLAX (Los Angeles, USA) to CYYC (Calgary, Canada) together with the cover sheet from the RocketRoute Briefing Pack.
Briefing pack.
If you have any further questions, the RocketRoute Ops team is available to assist. Please email support@rocketroute.com.