Fort McMurray International Airport’s Community Newsletter
Porter Airlines Comes to YMM
Porter Airlines is introducing new service between Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM).
The year-round service takes off November 17, 2025, with three weekly nonstop roundtrip flights.
The new route connects Fort McMurray to Porter’s Eastern Canada network via Ottawa, including St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton and Toronto.
YMM Pumpkins & Planes
Bring your little ghosts, goblins, and ghouls to the annual YMM Pumpkins & Planes in support of United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo.
It’s the perfect chance to test Halloween costumes and enjoy games, activities, prizes, and plenty of treats! A $5 Pumpkins & Planes Passport (plus fee) unlocks all the fun. Free parking validation available.
Sensory-Friendly Time Slot (12–1 p.m.) offers a calmer setting with limited capacity to reduce noise and crowding.
FMAA’s Jeff Vader Joins Alberta Aviation & Aerospace Council
Fort McMurray Airport Authority’s Manager of Airport Maintenance, Jeff Vader, has been appointed to the Alberta Aviation and Aerospace Council.
With over a decade of industry experience, Jeff brings valuable expertise to the Council, which advances aviation and aerospace through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation across Alberta.
Congratulations, Jeff!
On the YMM Runway: NAV CANADA Control Tower at Sunset
(Above) We’d be lost without our friends in the NAV CANADA Control Tower – quite literally. This beautiful photo captures a calm summer evening in Fort McMurray, with the night sky glowing at sunset.
(Below) At the same time, our own Dennis North, Airport Maintenance Technician, was hard at work on the runway, touching up the lines to ensure safe operations.
A special thank you to our talented teammates, Airport Maintenance Technicians Rebecca Greenham and Corwin Chegwyn, for capturing and sharing these incredible shots.
September YMM Passenger of the Month
Congratulations to our September YMM Passenger of the Month Ashley Hollett!
“We love to Fly YMM to St. John’s, Newfoundland. YMM is close to home, making it easy to start our journey.”
The next Bme you Fly YMM, scan the QR code on the screens and signs in the airside area for your chance to become the next winner and receive a $50 YMM Prize Package. To enter, share a photo of yourself or a special travel companion at YMM and tell us why you love YMM
Team YMM Spotlight on Tracey Polem
Congratulations to Tracey Polem on 25 years with Air Canada Jazz!
Originally from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Tracey and her husband made Fort McMurray their home a quarter of a century ago. What started as a career move quickly became so much more – a place to build a home, raise a family, and grow roots
Over the years, Tracey has seen aviation and YMM evolve, from new technologies to the move to our new terminal in 2014. Through it all, her commitment to excellent service and her pride in keeping passengers connected has never wavered.
“Fort McMurray isn’t just where I work – it’s where my life and career have grown together,” Tracey says. “I’ve met incredible colleagues, served passengers from all over the world, and shared in moments both ordinary and extraordinary. It’s been an amazing journey.”
From everyone on Team YMM, thank you Tracey for your dedicaBon, your teamwork, and your 25 years of service. We’re proud to celebrate this incredible milestone with you!
YMM Quick Connections: St. John’s, NL
With Porter’s new air service to Ottawa coming to YMM this November, residents will be able to enjoy quick connections to their favourite East Coast destinations, including St. John’s!
With just one quick connection via Ottawa, passengers can be in NL enjoying all St. John’s has to offer in just 7.5 hours. Flights start as low as $217 one-way!
Lace up for skating at Bannerman Park or launch your sled at the hill – it’s the perfect kind of spirited cold. Feel adventurous? Snowshoe through Pippy Park or hike up the Sugar Loaf – with a view that pairs perfectly with a local pint. When the wind bites, there’s live music, symphonies, and cozy pubs to thaw your toes.
Recognizing PAWS on National Dog Day
On Aug. 26 we celebrated our four-legged friends and the incrediblePets And Wellness Society for sharing their time, love, and wagging tails with our passengers.
Their visits brighten our terminal and bring moments of comfort and joy to travellers of all ages. Thank you to these amazing animals and their handlers for making YMM an even more welcoming place.
Interested in becoming a member of the PAWS program?
Quiet / Prayer Rooms
As part of YMM’s accessibility offerings, Quiet / Prayer Rooms are available both pre-security and post-security.
These low-stimulation spaces are designed to support passengers with sensory sensitivities, those seeking privacy, and travelling families who may need a calm environment during their journey.
We’re commiKed to providing spaces that make travel more comfortable and inclusive for everyone.
Quiet / Prayer Rooms
Got a little jet-setter in the making?
If your kiddo is flying for the very first time, don’t forget to stop by and pick up a My 1st Flight pin – a special keepsake to mark their big day in the skies.
Pins are available at:
- YMM Information Center – Arrivals, Level 1
- FMAA Administration Office – Level 3
Summer Student Send-Off
The Fort McMurray Airport Authority is bidding farewell (or as we like to say, “bye for now”) to our incredible summer students, Jhunzen “Zen” Dongla and Brooke Jenkins.
Over the past few months, Zen and Brooke have been amazing additions to our Administration team – eager to learn, quick to help, and always bringing positivity to everything they did.
Thank you both for all your contributions this summer. We hope to see you again soon, flying through YMM!
YMM In the News
YMM History Moment
This 1942 photograph shows an American airplane at the Fort McMurray airport during the Canol Project.
The Canol Project – short for Canadian Oil – was a World War II initiative to secure oil from Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories to help defend Alaska and the North American west coast. At the time, Fort McMurray (then known as Waterways) was a vital transportation hub. Supplies and heavy equipment arrived by rail before being loaded onto barges bound for the Athabasca River and transported north.
Air operations also played an essential role. Aircraft like the one pictured here were stationed in Fort McMurray to support the rapid construction of pipelines, roads, and infrastructure across some of the most remote terrain in Canada.
Catalogued as P2011.22.10, this image offers a glimpse into the community’s historic contribution to one of the country’s most ambitious wartime projects.
This image is sourced from the Fort McMurray Historical Society database. If you have a photo to share, please email us at info@flyymm.com.
