Region of Waterloo International Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Region of Waterloo International Airport
IATA: YKF ICAO: CYKF WMO: 71368
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario
Serves	Tri-Cities, Ontario Guelph, Ontario
Location	Woolwich, Ontario
Opened	1930
Focus city for	Flair Airlines Pivot Airlines
Time zone	EST (UTC−05:00)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL	1,054 ft / 321 m
Coordinates	43°27′39″N 080°22′43″W / 43.46083°N 80.37861°W / 43.46083; -80.37861
Map
CYKF Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario CYKF Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 08/26 7,003 2,135 Asphalt 14/32 4,103 1,251 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft movements 133,293 Passengers 171,828
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement Environment Canada Movements and Passengers from Statistics Canada

The Region of Waterloo International Airport, also known as Kitchener/Waterloo Airport (YKF/CYKF), is a busy airport in Woolwich, Ontario, Canada. It is located west of Toronto and serves the Waterloo Region. This airport offers daily flights all year round to many Canadian cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary. It also has flights to places like Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Some airlines, like Sunwing Airlines and Flair Airlines, offer seasonal flights to sunny destinations such as Cancun. In 2022, this airport was one of the busiest in Canada for the number of planes taking off and landing. It was also among the top 20 busiest for passenger numbers.

This airport is considered an "airport of entry" by Nav Canada, which manages air traffic. This means it has officers from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). These officers can check people arriving on private planes, even large ones, if they are given two hours' notice.

The airport's main building has areas for both international and domestic flights. There are two separate places to pick up your luggage, one for flights within Canada and one for flights from other countries. The terminal has four gates for planes. You can also find a restaurant and vending machines for snacks and drinks while you wait for your flight.

History of the Airport

The airport was first called Waterloo Regional Airport. Its name changed in March 2004 when Northwest Airlines started offering daily flights to Detroit.

Early Days: Lexington Airport

Construction for the Kitchener-Waterloo Municipal Airport began in 1929. It was also known as Lexington Airport. The towns of Kitchener and Waterloo, along with an insurance company, bought land to build it. The airport opened in 1930 and was mainly used for flight lessons. It had two grass runways.

From 1930 to 1932, Gilles Air Service operated flights there. Then, the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club took over until 1951. During World War II, regular flights stopped. The airport was used to train pilots as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

After the war, people wanted a bigger airport for private and commercial flights. In 1948, a new site was bought in Breslau, Ontario. A new airfield was finished there in 1950.

The original Lexington Airport was sold in 1951. It was turned into homes and businesses. Today, the entrance to the old airport is Lexington Park.

Becoming a Public Airport

The new K-W Municipal Airport became a place for general aviation (private planes) in 1969. The Waterloo-Wellington Flying Club managed it until 1973. Then, the Waterloo Region and the City of Guelph bought it. It became a public airport and was renamed Waterloo Regional Airport. Today, it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The name "Waterloo Regional Airport" is now used by a different airport in Waterloo, Iowa.

The terminal building at Waterloo Airport

In November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Waterloo was the busiest airport in Canada. This was because its flight training schools kept operating while many other aviation activities were paused.

Airport Expansion Projects

The Waterloo airport had a big expansion in 2003. Starting in 2008, it began expanding again to handle larger planes. This included making the main parking areas for planes wider and adding new taxiways. In 2010, Taxiway Charlie was made wider for a new development area.

Many airlines have flown from Waterloo over the years. Northwest Airlines flew to Detroit until 2009. In late 2005, major vacation flights to places like the Caribbean began. Sunwing Airlines started flying to Cancun.

WestJet began daily flights to Calgary in May 2007. These flights became year-round. Other airlines like Bearskin Airlines and American Airlines also offered flights from Waterloo for a time.

A new air traffic control tower opened on September 27, 2017. This new tower is taller and bigger than the old one built in 1969.

In May 2021, Flair Airlines, a low-cost airline, started flying to several Canadian cities from Waterloo. They later added more Canadian, US, and Mexican destinations.

In April 2021, the Waterloo Regional Council approved $44 million for more airport improvements. This money will help increase how many bags the airport can handle and make the waiting areas for flights larger. These improvements are expected to be finished in 2023.

The Waterloo Terminal building from the taxiway

Airlines and Destinations

Here are the airlines that fly from Region of Waterloo International Airport and where they go:

Source:

Airport Businesses and Services

Many different businesses operate at the airport, providing various services:

• Aerotech Aviation – fixes private aircraft.
• Flightpath Charter Airways – offers charter flights and cargo services.
• AirSprint – operates private business jets.
• Private Air – also operates private business jets.
• Nav Canada – provides air traffic control, helping planes fly safely.
• Executive Aviation – helps airlines like WestJet and Sunwing with ground services.
• Flite Line Services – provides fuel and ground handling.
• Kitchener Aero Avionics – makes and fixes aircraft electronics.
• Rotor Services – maintains helicopters and offers flight training.
• Tri-City Aero – fixes small private aircraft.
• Reliable Horse Power – repairs aircraft engines.
• Summit Fuel Services – provides fuel.
• Chartright Air Group – another private jet operator.
• Car rental companies: National Car Rental, Avis Rent a Car System, Hertz car rental.
• Runways Café at WWFC – a restaurant.
• Aviator Cafe (by Edelweiss) – a food stand inside the terminal.
• Canada Border Services Agency – checks people and goods entering Canada.
• Royal Canadian Air Cadet Youth Development Centre, 822 Tutor Squadron – a youth program for air cadets.
• Gyro Craft Aviation – sells and rents gyroplanes.

Flight Training Schools

The airport is also home to several schools where people can learn to fly:

• Adler Aviation – trains pilots for small propeller planes.
• Great Lakes Helicopter – trains pilots for small and medium helicopters.
• Gyro Ontario – the only place in Ontario to learn to fly a gyroplane.
• Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre – works with Conestoga College and the University of Waterloo to train pilots.

Airport Safety and Emergency Services

The airport has special vehicles to keep it safe. This includes a dedicated snow plow to clear runways. They also have their own fire trucks and rescue units to respond to emergencies.

Getting To and From the Airport

A WestJet 737-700 plane at YKF

You can get to the airport by taxi, limousine, or chartered bus. If you drive your own car, there are three parking lots available. You can pay for parking at machines in the main lot or inside the terminal.

The main road to the airport is Regional Road 17, also called Fountain Street North. This road connects to Highway 7 (for Waterloo and Guelph) and Highway 401 (for London and Toronto). Getting to Kitchener became easier in 2013 when Fairway Road was extended to Fountain Street.

Since July 11, 2022, Grand River Transit offers a flexible bus service in the Breslau area, including the airport. This is an on-demand bus service that runs on weekdays during certain hours. It connects to other bus routes, making it easier to travel around the area.

Airport Incidents

• On November 25, 2022, Flair Airlines Flight 501, a Boeing 737-800 with 134 passengers and 6 crew, went past the end of runway 26 while landing. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de la Región de Waterloo para niños

• List of airports in Ontario
• List of airports in Canada