Castlegar City Council Approves 18-Month Extension for Regional Airport Operations

CASTLEGAR, BC — Castlegar City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve an 18-month contract extension with Dexterra Integrated Facilities Management for the continued operation, maintenance, and emergency airfield services at West Kootenay Regional Airport (YCG).

Airport Operational Continuity and Airfield Safety

The approved extension ensures uninterrupted management of passenger terminal facilities, ground handling compliance, and Transport Canada certified runway winter maintenance through April 30, 2028. The airport serves as a critical commercial aviation and medical evacuation hub for more than 75,000 residents across Castlegar, Nelson, Trail, and surrounding rural communities.

Municipal engineering staff noted that Dexterra’s performance benchmarks met all regulatory audit standards, and the 18-month duration aligns the service agreement with scheduled capital runway resurfacing timelines.

Instrument Approach Modernization

Council received an accompanying briefing regarding ongoing negotiations with Transport Canada and commercial carriers regarding Required Navigation Performance (RNP) flight procedure optimizations aimed at reducing winter flight cancellations caused by mountain terrain fog.

Civic leaders highlighted that stable regional aviation infrastructure is fundamental to sustaining healthcare specialist travel and regional tourism throughout the West Kootenay corridor.

Procurement and Next Review Milestone

The City of Castlegar will issue a formal request for proposals for long-term airport operations management in late 2027.