Aviation
Annual Aircraft Movements: Small airports - Airports Without NAV CANADA Towers or Flight Service Stations, 2016

Analysis

In 2016, the number of take‑offs and landings at 130 Canadian airports without air traffic control towers totalled of 609,205 movements.

Ten airports accounted for almost 40% of the activity during the year: Peterborough, Ontario (58,506 movements), Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador (31,674), Red Lake, Ontario (22,420), Trois‑Rivières, Quebec (22,069), Moosonee, Ontario (21,062), Comox, British Columbia (20,204), Barrie‑Orillia‑Lake Simcoe Regional, Ontario (16,315), Pickle Lake, Ontario (16,012), Tillsonburg, Ontario (15,315) and Muskoka, Ontario (14,643).

There were 449,354 itinerant movements (flights from one airport to another) recorded at 111 airports without air traffic control towers in 2016. Goose Bay, the most active site, represented 7.0% of the total itinerant movements. It reported 31,674 take‑offs and landings, an increase of 1.4% from the figure reported in 2015. This was the first gain in traffic at the airport in three years.

There were 132,157 local movements (flights that remain in the vicinity of the airport) recorded at 68 airports without air traffic control towers in 2016. Peterborough (52,581 movements) reported the greatest number of local movements in 2016.

Note to Readers

1. Aggregate data only are available for the 19 airports reported by the Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation listed below:

• Berens River
• Bloodvein River
• Brochet
• Cross Lake
• Gods Lake Narrows
• Gods River
• Ilford
• Lac Brochet
• Little Grand Rapids
• Oxford House
• Pikwitonei
• Poplar River
• Pukatawagan
• Red Sucker Lake
• Shamattawa
• South Indian Lake
• Tadoule Lake
• Thicket Portage
• York Landing

2. Aggregate data only are available for the 12 airports reported by the Kativik Regional Government in Quebec listed below:

• Akulivik
• Aupaluk
• Inukjuak
• Ivujivik
• Kangiqsualujjuaq
• Kangiqsujuaq
• Kangirsuk
• Puvirnituq
• Quaqtaq
• Salluit
• Tasiujaq
• Umiujaq

3. Aggregate data only are available for Tillsonburg, Ontario.

4. As per the November 2015 NAV CANADA Flight Supplement, Repulse Bay (Nunavut) was changed to Naujaat. The community’s name was officially changed on July 1, 2015.

5. As of March 2014 the following airports began to report data:

• Isle‑aux‑Grues, Quebec
• Kegaska, Quebec
• La Romaine, Quebec
• La Tabatière, Quebec
• Matagami, Quebec
• Montmagny, Quebec
• St‑Bruno‑de‑Guigues, Quebec
• Tête‑à‑la‑Baleine, Quebec

Factors which may have influenced the data

2016

On September 12^th, 2016, Watson Lake Airport, Yukon, welcomed the arrival of its first scheduled commercial flight since the 1990's. The Alkan Air flight originated from Whitehorse, Yukon.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 3,969 fires covering 1,293,072 hectares as of July 31^st, 2016. This represents an increase of 944 fires and 412,915 hectares from a month earlier. In 2015, the agency had recorded 5,766 fires encompassing 3,889,663 hectares by the end of July.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 3,025 fires covering 880,157 hectares as of June 30^th, 2016. This represents an increase of 1,065 fires and 25,152 hectares from a month earlier. In 2015, the agency had recorded 4,076 fires encompassing 1,352,281 hectares by the end of June.

As of May 31^st, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. (CIFFC) reported a total 1,960 fires covering 855,005 hectares across Canada in 2016. The majority of these occurred in Alberta, which recorded 525 fires encompassing 595,709 hectares, approximately 70% of the total area covered by forest fires nationwide. During the same period in 2015 the agency recorded more fires (2,503) across Canada, however the coverage was not as widespread (239,313 hectares).

On May 31^st, 2016, Air Labrador began service between several airports in Newfoundland and Labrador: Happy Valley‑Goose Bay, St. John's and Deer Lake.

Beginning May 30^th, 2016, Innu Mikun Airlines launched a new morning service from several airports in the North Coast of Labrador to Happy Valley‑Goose Bay. This service will begin in Nain in the morning with service to Natuashish then to Happy Valley‑Goose Bay, also allowing for a morning connection to Gander and St. John's via PAL Airlines.

On March 27^th, 2016, Mt. Pavlof, a volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, erupted with little advance notice spewing an ash cloud up to 20,000 feet (6,100 m) high and prompting aviation warnings. Flights were affected in the territories, and as far away as Regina, Saskatchewan.

On February 24^th, 2016, a winter storm hit Chicago, Illinois and moved into eastern Canada. The combination of snow and freezing rain led to dangerous travel conditions with over 1,000 flights cancelled in Chicago. Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario had about 140 flights cancelled.

A major snowstorm hit eastern Canada on February 16^th, 2016. Ottawa, Ontario received 51 cm of snow, a one‑day record snowfall.

A major snowstorm hit Atlantic Canada on February 8^th and 9^th, 2016 with Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John's being particularly hard hit.

From January 22^nd – 26^th, 2016, snowstorm Jonas hit the eastern seaboard of the United States and cities including New York, New York and Washington, DC received record or near record snowfalls. Overall, about 12,000 flights were cancelled over the four‑day period, a number of which were destined for Canada.

On January 17^th, 2016, the Maritimes were hit with their third major snowstorm of the week.

Effective January 15^th, 2016, Perimeter Airlines discontinued service to Dauphin, Manitoba. The airline advised this was in part due to the loss of their contract with Purolator courier air freight.  In October 2015, the airline started to reduce flights on this route.

2015

Having already impacted travel at both Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan airports in the U.S. Midwest, a major snowstorm hit central and eastern Canada on December 29^th, 2015 causing delays and cancellations in southern Ontario and western Quebec, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal airports.

On December 1st, 2015, North Star Air expanded their services in Northern Ontario with the introduction of three new routes. These routes connect a number of smaller communities with Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay.

On November 2^nd, 2015, Canadian North and First Air—which together serve western Nunavut through a code share agreement put in place last summer—will add flights between Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 6,654 fires covering 3,953,056 hectares as of August 31^st, 2015, more fires and a bit more area than a month earlier. In 2014, the agency had recorded 4,681 fires encompassing 4,549,459 hectares by the end of August.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 5,766 fires covering 3,889,663 hectares as of July 31^st, 2015. This represents an increase from the previous year when 3,331 fires covering 1,606,278 hectares were recorded. In several cases, particularly in Western Canada, air support was deployed to assist ground crews.

In early July 2015, a rare, lingering fog and thick ice caused major delays in food shipments to Iqaluit, Nunavut. Cargo planes and combo planes (planes that carry cargo and passengers) were not able to fly in or out of Iqaluit Airport.

On July 2^nd, 2015, a new airline codeshare agreement between Calm Air and First Air came into effect for the Kivalliq region. Under this arrangement, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut replaces Churchill, Manitoba as the main regional hub. In addition, the announcement indicated a reduction in the number of multi‑leg flights in the region with more direct flights into Rankin Inlet.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 4,076 fires covering 1,352,282 hectares as of June 30^th, 2015. This represents an increase from the previous year when 1,977 fires and 414,722 hectares were recorded. In several cases, particularly in Western Canada, air support was deployed to assist ground crews.

Major snowstorms struck Atlantic Canada in mid‑March 2015, forcing flight delays and cancellations.

Significant winter storms struck Atlantic Canada in February 2015 forcing numerous flight cancellations and delays. During the same time, eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec recorded colder‑than‑normal temperatures.

January 2015 was marked by extreme cold, heavy snow and freezing rain conditions across Canada forcing delays and flight cancellations at many airports.

2014

A significant winter storm struck Eastern Canada forcing dozens of flight cancellations and delays at Eastern Canadian airports in March 2014.

A major winter storm with freezing temperatures struck the south‑west coast of British Columbia forcing flight cancellations and delays in February 2014.

2013

Significant winter storms struck much of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces forcing flight cancellations and delays across Canada in December 2013.

2012

Significant winter storms struck eastern Canada and the Maritime provinces in December 2012 forcing numerous flight cancellations and delays.

Hurricane Sandy struck the northeastern United States and eastern Canada in October 2012 forcing numerous flight cancellations.