diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 9e8f23f82..ea57e8deb 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1550,20 +1550,51 @@ for cti in mglob(env, 'data/inputs', 'cti'):
     build(env.Command('build/data/%s' % outName, cti.path,
                       '$python_cmd_esc interfaces/cython/cantera/ctml_writer.py $SOURCE $TARGET'))
 
-
-# Copy input files which are not present as cti:
+# Copy XML input files which are not present as cti:
 for xml in mglob(env, 'data/inputs', 'xml'):
     dest = pjoin('build','data',xml.name)
     if xml.name not in convertedInputFiles:
         build(env.Command(dest, xml.path, Copy('$TARGET', '$SOURCE')))
 
+# Convert input files from Chemkin format to YAML
+ck_sources = [
+    dict(output='gri30.yaml', input='data/inputs/gri30.inp',
+         transport='data/transport/gri30_tran.dat'),
+    dict(output='air.yaml', input='data/inputs/air.inp',
+         transport='data/transport/gri30_tran.dat'),
+    dict(output='airNASA9.yaml', input='data/inputs/airNASA9.inp',
+         thermo='data/thermo/airDataNASA9.dat'),
+    dict(output='h2o2.yaml', input='data/inputs/h2o2.inp',
+         transport='data/transport/gri30_tran.dat'),
+    dict(output='silane.yaml', input='data/inputs/silane.inp')
+]
+
+for mech in ck_sources:
+    convertedInputFiles.add(mech['output'])
+    cmd = ('$python_cmd_esc interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2yaml.py'
+           ' --quiet --no-validate --input=$SOURCE --output=$TARGET')
+    if 'thermo' in mech:
+        cmd += ' --thermo=' + mech['thermo']
+    if 'transport' in mech:
+        cmd += ' --transport=' + mech['transport']
+    b = build(env.Command('build/data/{}'.format(mech['output']), mech['input'], cmd))
+    env.Depends(b, 'interfaces/cython/cantera/ck2yaml.py')
+
+# preprocess input files (cti -> yaml)
+for cti in mglob(env, 'data/inputs', 'cti'):
+    outName = os.path.splitext(cti.name)[0] + '.yaml'
+    if outName not in convertedInputFiles:
+        b = build(env.Command('build/data/{}'.format(outName), cti.path,
+                              '$python_cmd_esc interfaces/cython/cantera/cti2yaml.py $SOURCE $TARGET'))
+        env.Depends(b, 'interfaces/cython/cantera/cti2yaml.py')
+
 if addInstallActions:
     # Put headers in place
     headerBase = 'include/cantera'
     install(env.RecursiveInstall, '$inst_incdir', 'include/cantera')
 
     # Data files
-    install('$inst_datadir', mglob(env, 'build/data', 'cti', 'xml'))
+    install('$inst_datadir', mglob(env, 'build/data', 'cti', 'xml', 'yaml'))
 
 
 ### List of libraries needed to link to Cantera ###
diff --git a/data/inputs/air.inp b/data/inputs/air.inp
index 75bc01f64..05704100b 100644
--- a/data/inputs/air.inp
+++ b/data/inputs/air.inp
@@ -4,6 +4,41 @@ END
 SPECIES
 O       O2     N   NO      NO2     N2O     N2      AR
 END
+THERMO ALL
+   300.000  1000.000  5000.000
+O                 L 1/90O   1   00   00   00G   200.000  3500.000  1000.000    1
+ 2.56942078E+00-8.59741137E-05 4.19484589E-08-1.00177799E-11 1.22833691E-15    2
+ 2.92175791E+04 4.78433864E+00 3.16826710E+00-3.27931884E-03 6.64306396E-06    3
+-6.12806624E-09 2.11265971E-12 2.91222592E+04 2.05193346E+00                   4
+O2                TPIS89O   2   00   00   00G   200.000  3500.000  1000.000    1
+ 3.28253784E+00 1.48308754E-03-7.57966669E-07 2.09470555E-10-2.16717794E-14    2
+-1.08845772E+03 5.45323129E+00 3.78245636E+00-2.99673416E-03 9.84730201E-06    3
+-9.68129509E-09 3.24372837E-12-1.06394356E+03 3.65767573E+00                   4
+N                 L 6/88N   1    0    0    0G   200.000  6000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.24159429E+01 0.17489065E-03-0.11902369E-06 0.30226245E-10-0.20360982E-14    2
+ 0.56133773E+05 0.46496096E+01 0.25000000E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00    3
+ 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.56104637E+05 0.41939087E+01                   4
+NO                RUS 78N   1O   1    0    0G   200.000  6000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.32606056E+01 0.11911043E-02-0.42917048E-06 0.69457669E-10-0.40336099E-14    2
+ 0.99209746E+04 0.63693027E+01 0.42184763E+01-0.46389760E-02 0.11041022E-04    3
+-0.93361354E-08 0.28035770E-11 0.98446230E+04 0.22808464E+01                   4
+NO2               L 7/88N   1O   2    0    0G   200.000  6000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.48847542E+01 0.21723956E-02-0.82806906E-06 0.15747510E-09-0.10510895E-13    2
+ 0.23164983E+04-0.11741695E+00 0.39440312E+01-0.15854290E-02 0.16657812E-04    3
+-0.20475426E-07 0.78350564E-11 0.28966179E+04 0.63119917E+01                   4
+N2O               L 7/88N   2O   1    0    0G   200.000  6000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.48230729E+01 0.26270251E-02-0.95850874E-06 0.16000712E-09-0.97752303E-14    2
+ 0.80734048E+04-0.22017207E+01 0.22571502E+01 0.11304728E-01-0.13671319E-04    3
+ 0.96819806E-08-0.29307182E-11 0.87417744E+04 0.10757992E+02                   4
+N2                121286N   2               G   300.000  5000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.02926640E+02 0.14879768E-02-0.05684760E-05 0.10097038E-09-0.06753351E-13    2
+-0.09227977E+04 0.05980528E+02 0.03298677E+02 0.14082404E-02-0.03963222E-04    3
+ 0.05641515E-07-0.02444854E-10-0.10208999E+04 0.03950372E+02                   4
+AR                120186AR  1               G   300.000  5000.000  1000.000    1
+ 0.02500000E+02 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00    2
+-0.07453750E+04 0.04366000E+02 0.02500000E+02 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00    3
+ 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.07453750E+04 0.04366000E+02                   4
+END
 REACTIONS
 2O+M<=>O2+M                              1.200E+17   -1.000        .00
  AR/.83/ 
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/.gitignore b/interfaces/cython/.gitignore
index f919e2a5c..0601b64ab 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/.gitignore
+++ b/interfaces/cython/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ cantera/*.cpp
 cantera/*.c
 cantera/data/*.cti
 cantera/data/*.xml
+cantera/data/*.yaml
+cantera/data/*.yml
 cantera/test/data/*.cti
 cantera/test/data/*.xml
 cantera/test/data/*.inp