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Thompson Airport (CYTH/YTH) serves the city of Thompson in northern Manitoba, acting as the region's principal air gateway and a hub for numerous remote communities accessible largely by air. Equipped with an ILS-served runway and full navigational aids, it is the third-busiest airport in Manitoba and hosts a mix of scheduled carriers, government, police and fire-fighting operators, making it a rewarding stop for a simulator pilot exploring the Canadian north.
Thompson Airport, identified by the ICAO code CYTH and IATA code YTH, lies in the Mystery Lake area of northern Manitoba and serves as the main air link for the city of Thompson and dozens of surrounding communities. It is owned and operated by the Thompson Regional Airport Authority and is described as the third-busiest airport in Manitoba, behind only the two Winnipeg airports. For a simulator pilot, its combination of scheduled airline traffic, medevac and government flying, an ILS approach and a busy mix of fixed-wing and helicopter operators make it a characterful northern Canadian destination.
The airport sits in the Mystery Lake district of northern Manitoba, described by its operator as located roughly six miles northwest of the city of Thompson. It functions as a regional hub with a catchment of some 37 towns and villages and an estimated population of 43,000, many of which have no other year-round surface access and rely on the airport for transport. The field lies within Winnipeg Centre's area of responsibility, with Winnipeg providing en-route and flight information services to traffic operating in and out of Thompson.
Thompson Airport has two paved (hard-surface), lit physical runways. Runway 06/24 is the longer of the two, measuring 5,771 feet as Runway 06 and 5,770 feet as Runway 24; Runway 06 is served by an ILS approach. Runway 15/33 is 4,897 feet in each direction. The field elevation is 715 feet.
Air-to-ground communication is provided on frequency 122.5 MHz, which also carries the remote outlet (RDO) service. The ATIS broadcasts on 127.65 MHz. Winnipeg Centre provides area control on 133.15 MHz, while Winnipeg flight information services are available via a remote communications outlet (RCO) on 123.15 MHz, with an associated information frequency on 123 MHz. The airport is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS), a VOR, DME and an NDB, along with a radar installation that became operational in 1995, giving it a comprehensive suite of aids for instrument approaches in the often demanding northern weather.
Thompson Airport began life in 1961, developed by the International Nickel Company to support its mining operations in the area; it originally had a single runway some 3,000 feet in length. Ownership passed to Transport Canada in 1963, and the field was then operated by the Local Government District of Mystery Lake for several decades. In March 2000 the Thompson Regional Airport Authority, formed in 1999 by North Central Development, the Keewatin Tribal Council and the Thompson Chamber of Commerce, took over ownership and operation of the airport. The airport's navigational infrastructure was substantially upgraded through the later twentieth century, with a high-intensity lighting system completed in 1992 and a radar site, built in 1989, becoming operational in 1995.
Thompson Airport today is served by Calm Air International and Perimeter Aviation, which operate flights to Winnipeg, and hosts bases for Custom Helicopters, Missinippi Airways, the RCMP Air Division and Manitoba Government Air. During the fire-fighting season the airport becomes home to Manitoba's Government Air water bombers, reflecting its role as a staging point for aerial firefighting across the north. The airport also supports cold-weather vehicle testing through the adjacent Area 55 Advanced Cold Weather Test Facility, which draws automotive and aerospace manufacturers to the region. The Thompson Regional Airport Authority continues to operate and develop the airfield as the principal aviation gateway for northern Manitoba.
