The Sudbury International Airport also known as the Greater Sudbury Airport is an airport that is located in Greater Sudbury, a city in Canada specifically in Ontario. It is situated 20 kilometers northeast of Sudbury’s downtown area. It is in between two different communities namely Skead and Garson, on the Municipal road 86. The official and registered name of the airport with Transport Canada is Sudbury Airport. This name is also the one printed in all publications of aeronautics. The airport is classified by the Nav Canada as an AOE (airport of entry). It means to say that it provides services on immigration and customs for any incoming flight. The said services permit the airport to become an initial POE (point of entry) for foreign visitors who arrive in a particular country.
The CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) is the one that staffs the airport with its officers presently are lawfully capable of handling GA (general aviation) aircraft only having the maximum of 15 flight passengers. The regional airline companies that serve the airport are Air Canada Jazz, Porter Airlines and Bearskin Airlines. From 2001 to 2004, WestJet also served the airport with flight to Hamilton, a port city in Ontario. It also serves as a base of air ambulance services by Ornge.
Originally, the airport started as merely an emergency landing area or facility having a single landing strip measuring 2,000 meters. In 1952, this landing strip was intended for CF- 100s coming from the base of Canadian Forces located in North Bay, Ontario. On the 25th of February 1953, the committee of the airport was established to have commercial flights to Sudbury lobbied and arranged. In 1955, a new terminal building and another landing strip were completed. The beginning of regular commercial flights was dated 1st of February, 1954 with Trans- Canada Air Lines.
In 1972, a tower for air traffic control was built and the existing smaller terminal building was replaced with a better and bigger one. The said larger terminal building was expanded and renovated in 2000. The Federal Government owned the airport from 1972 to 2000 and Sudbury’s transportation department operated it then. The ownership title and management of the airport were transferred to SACDC (Sudbury Airport Community Dev’t Corp.) on the 31st of March, 2000. The control tower was unfortunately closed because of the lack of traffic in the month of June, 2008. This was under the Nav Canada’s recommendation after an aeronautical study which lasted for a year. Currently, the airport is 24/7 staffed as a station of flight services.
Officially, the airlines that currently serve the airport are Air Canada Express which is operated by Jazz Air, Sunwing Airlines, Bearskin Airlines and Porter Airlines. The destination of Air Canada Express is from Toronto to Pearson; Bearskin Airlines to Kapuskasing, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Timmins, Ottawa and Sault Ste. Marie; Porter Airlines is from Toronto to Billy Bishop and; Sunwing Airlines to Puerto Plata (during Winter).
Via this airport, travelers can reach the Sudbury area by airplane. Upon arrival at this airport, visitors mostly find rental cars to continue their journeys to any destination in Sudbury. Some of the companies that offer rental land transport vehicles include Avis, National and Enterprise. The airport itself also offers shuttle services to any hotel and establishment in the city of Sudbury. If you do not opt for rental cars, you can actually ride a taxi directly available at the arrival area of the terminal building. You may also travel to your desired Sudbury destination by bus or train which is also available at the airport.