5/ 5 reviews
Terminal & facilities
“you might have to take the shuttle bus to the main terminal if you're taking the skytrain”
Dawn Jervis5★ on Google
Airports / Canada / YWL
Medium airport · YWL
Williams Lake Airport.
Williams Lake, Canada · 3,085 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.3/5
Google rating
54 ratings
0
Operators based
3,085
Elevation ft
Scheduled service
Williams Lake, CanadaELEV 3,085 FTMedium airportScheduled service
4.3
Google rating
54
Google reviews
ratings on Google
3,085
Field elevation
feet above sea level
53
Nearest alternate
nm to YQZ
Field standing
53 nm
To the nearest alternate
Quesnel Airport (YQZ).
Overview
Williams Lake Airport (CYWL / YWL) sits in Williams Lake, Canada, where it functions as a mid-sized airport. Field elevation is 3,085 feet above sea level. Scheduled carriers operate here, and the field also sees regular private and charter activity.
While no charter operators list YWL as their home base, the field is reachable for repositioned charter aircraft from nearby bases. The closest alternate fields are Quesnel Airport (YQZ, 53 nm), Cache Creek-Ashcroft Regional Airport (YZA, 89 nm), and Blue River Airport (CYCP, 102 nm). The field has a single 7,000-foot paved runway, long enough for charter aircraft up to VIP airliners.
Trip costs from YWL are driven by the aircraft category flown and how far it must reposition. Browse operators flying from the area or estimate a trip cost from YWL to plan your flight.
Run an FBO at CYWL? Become the preferred FBO
What fliers highlight.
From the stored review texts
3/ 5 reviews
Staff & service
“Very patient and honourable staff.”
Bully Henders5★ on Google
2/ 5 reviews
Easy in & out
“I often fly in and out of this airport, for work and pleasure and only miss a concession area or at a minimum the opportunity to purchase a cup of coffee.”
Tom Schoen, mapping & reviews4★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Williams Lake Airport, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
CYWL
IATA
YWL
FAA / Local
CYWL
Elevation
3,085 ft
Coordinates
52.1831° N · 122.0540° W
Airspace
G · GolfClass G, GolfUncontrolled field, no tower. Pilots self-announce and sequence themselves on the common traffic advisory frequency.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
Yes
Elevation vs Canada fields
state range 6–3,940 ft
At 3,085 ft, YWL sits higher than 98% of the 251 Canada fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
1 runway
longest 7,000 ft
- 12/307,000 ft × 150 ftAsphaltLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 7,000 ft
YWL's 7,000 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to VIP airliners.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 53nmYQZQuesnel AirportQuesnel
- 89nmYZACache Creek-Ashcroft Regional AirportCache Creek
- 102nmCYCPBlue River AirportBlue River
- 105nmYXSPrince George (International) AirportPrince George
- 107nmYKAKamloops John Moose Fulton Field Regional AirportKamloops
- 120nmYAAAnahim Lake AirportAnahim Lake
Location
Open the full mapCYWL · Williams Lake Airport · Williams Lake, Canada
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from YWL on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle (SEA) | 284 nm | 1h 4m |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | 686 nm | 2h 0m |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 799 nm | 2h 15m |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 874 nm | 2h 26m |
| Vail / Eagle (EGE) | 979 nm | 2h 41m |
| Aspen (ASE) | 1,001 nm | 2h 44m |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 1,010 nm | 2h 45m |
| Denver (DEN) | 1,030 nm | 2h 48m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use YWL?
- Williams Lake Airport's longest paved runway is 7,000 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to VIP airliners. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at YWL?
- Williams Lake Airport has one runway; the longest measures 7,000 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- What is the nearest major airport to YWL?
- The closest alternate is Quesnel Airport (YQZ), about 53 nm away, followed by Cache Creek-Ashcroft Regional Airport (YZA) at 89 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from YWL to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Seattle about 1h 4m (284 nm), Jackson Hole about 2h 0m (686 nm), Salt Lake City about 2h 15m (799 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.