Castlegar’s ‘Cancelgar’ Airport Still Awaiting Federal Approval on Plan to Reduce Chronic Flight Cancellations

Nestled in B.C.’s Selkirk Mountains, the West Kootenay Regional Airport in Castlegar serves as a vital transportation link for tens of thousands of passengers each year. With daily flights connecting the region to Vancouver, the airport plays a key role in business, tourism and access to health care.

But for years, it has carried a less flattering nickname: “Cancelgar.”

Frequent flight cancellations — often caused by fog, low cloud cover and the challenging mountain terrain — have made reliability a persistent issue for residents.

To address the problem, the City of Castlegar, which operates the airport, commissioned a consultant to design a technical solution that would allow aircraft to land and depart more safely in adverse weather conditions.

A proposal still awaiting approval

The city’s proposal centres on implementing a Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approach, a modern aviation procedure that uses advanced GPS and onboard avionics to guide aircraft along highly precise flight paths through difficult terrain.

The plan would allow aircraft to approach at a steeper angle than current federal regulations permit — something airport officials say would significantly reduce weather-related disruptions.

The proposal was submitted to Transport Canada in 2021.

Nearly four years later, Castlegar Mayor Maria McFaddin says the city is still waiting.

“We have had many meetings with Transport Canada to ask them about where we're at,” McFaddin said in a recent interview.

She explained that administrative changes within the federal department — including restructuring and evolving approval standards — have required the city to revise and resubmit elements of the proposal multiple times.

“Then we sit and wait for a little bit longer,” she said.

Mounting costs and community impact

The city estimates it has spent more than $1 million developing and updating the plan.

While the financial burden is significant, McFaddin says the human impact is even more concerning.

She shared the story of a newborn who required medical care in Vancouver during the winter. The baby and mother were flown out, while the father had to arrange separate travel.

At the time, major highways connecting the region to the Lower Mainland were closed due to flooding. Air travel was the only option — but flight cancellations had plagued the airport the week before and the week after.

“Thank goodness the day he had to fly out, our flight got in and out,” McFaddin said. “He would have been landlocked away from his family while his baby is struggling because we don't have reliability on our airline.”

For a mountainous region with limited road alternatives, reliable air service is often more than a convenience — it is a lifeline.

Federal response

In a statement to Peazzi, Transport Canada acknowledged the airport’s challenges and agreed that improved systems are needed to reduce cancellations.

However, the agency emphasized that safety remains its “foremost priority,” noting that the terrain and weather patterns in Castlegar’s narrow valley make operational changes complex.

Transport Canada says work to improve approach and departure procedures remains ongoing, but did not provide a timeline for a decision.

Waiting for certainty

For residents and businesses in the West Kootenay region, the uncertainty continues.

Until federal approval is granted — or denied — Castlegar’s airport remains caught between technical possibility and regulatory limbo, as the community waits for a solution that could finally put the “Cancelgar” nickname to rest.