Powell River Airport (YPW)

Powell River’s airport is an important transportation link for the community as it is only accessible by air or water.

The airport provides service to private and commercial flights, and is also home to Oceanview Helicopters and the BC Wildfire Service. Pacific Coastal Airlines is currently the only passenger service provider, offering 30-minute flights to and from the Vancouver International Airport South Terminal, allowing residents and visitors alike to stay connected to the world.

Airport Master Plan

This Airport Master Plan provides a 25-year vision for the ultimate development of the airport. The Plan is intended to provide guidelines for future development that will satisfy aviation demand in a financially feasible manner, while resolving aviation, environmental and socio-economic issues in Powell River.

YPW Runway Rehabilitation Project

The existing runway pavement is almost 40 years old and rehabilitation and re-profiling is required to meet the latest TP312-5th Aerodrome Standards. Works planned will include pavement rehabilitation, correcting the longitudinal slope to a maximum of 1.50%, improving the transverse slopes and centreline crown to improve drainage and reduce ponding, new lighting and visual aids, and runway extension.

An application for Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) funding for the above works was approved in October 2022. The Transport Canada ACAP provides 100% funding for local and regional airport rehabilitation projects deemed necessary to meet federal certification and safety standards. Design and tendering began in early 2023 and construction now anticipated for Spring 2024.

We acknowledge that this project will impact our community, businesses and visitors and thank you for your patience as we improve this important and critical transportation asset for our community.

We will continue to update this webpage with information throughout the Project.

Current timeline - updated October 2024

• Late January 2024 – the final design for the project was received and a request for proposals for a contractor to deliver the final design specifications went live at the end of January 2024.

• The tender process ended March 5, 2024 at 2pm.

• The tenders have been reviewed and at the Special Council Meeting on Thursday March 14 at 2:30pm Council awarded the tender contract to Upland Contracting Ltd. in the amount of $6,304,598 plus GST. This amount is $1,420,929 under the grant funding available for the project’s construction and therefore, the project currently has some contingency funding should unexpected construction costs arise.

• A full closure of the airport runway was required for an uninterrupted period limited to a maximum of 8 weeks starting April 8, 2024.

• No flights were scheduled to or from the Powell River Airport from April 8, 2024 to June 9, 2024, inclusive.

• The airport re-opened on Saturday, June 8, 2024 for daytime flights

• Full completion of the project is anticipated by the end of October 2024.

More details about the YPW Runway Rehabilitation Project can be found on our participatepr webpage.