Under the Federal government’s National Airports Policy (1994), ownership of the Airport was offered to provincial and local governments, airport commissions, private businesses or other interests, in that order. In response to this policy, the SSMADC, an independent, not-for-profit, community based entity incorporated on April 26, 1996, and took over ownership and operation of the Airport on March 28, 1998. Of the 23 regional, local or small airports in Ontario that have been transferred from the Federal government, the Sault Ste. Marie Airport is one of few airports that is not directly affiliated with a municipality. The Airport must raise sufficient revenues from fees, concessions, and leases to meet its operating expenses, provide facilities for tenants, and pay taxes.
Since assuming ownership of the Sault Ste. Marie Airport from the Federal Government the Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation (SSMADC) has elevated the standards of air transportation available to the community since 1961.
Situated on the original meeting grounds of the Batchewana and Anishinabek people in the heart of the Great Lakes, the Sault Ste. Marie Airport is located on 1,800 acres of land south-west of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. The Sault Ste. Marie Airport is home to two runways, each measuring 6,000 feet (1,829 metres), and serviced by multiple airlines.
