Little Catalina, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
CA-0055
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151 ft
CA-NL
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 48.566931° N, -53.057238° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: DB4
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Approximately 2005-2006. The official decision to close the airstrip was part of a strategic review by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a report finalized in 2005 recommending the closure of several underutilized provincial airstrips.
The closure was for economic reasons. A 2005 government report titled 'Provincial Airstrips - A new strategic direction' concluded that the Bonavista (Little Catalina) airstrip, along with others, had extremely low usage and incurred significant operational and capital costs for the province. With improved road networks and the proximity of the larger, better-equipped Clarenville Airport (CCZ3) about an hour's drive away, the airstrip was deemed financially unsustainable and no longer essential.
The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. Satellite imagery of the coordinates clearly shows the 2,500-foot gravel runway is still intact but unmaintained and deteriorating. Large white 'X' markings are painted at the runway ends, which is the standard international visual signal indicating that a runway is closed to all aircraft operations. The site is undeveloped and is not being used for any other official purpose.
The Bonavista (Little Catalina) airstrip was constructed by the provincial government, likely in the 1970s, as part of a network of small, unpaved airfields designed to connect remote communities. Its most critical function was providing access for air ambulance services, enabling rapid medical evacuations from the Bonavista Peninsula to larger hospitals. It also supported general aviation, including private pilots and charter flights. The airport was never intended for, nor did it handle, scheduled commercial passenger services. It was a vital piece of infrastructure for emergency services before the region's highway system was significantly upgraded.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Bonavista Airport. The economic and logistical factors that led to its closure remain unchanged. The region is adequately served by the Clarenville Airport for aviation needs, and the significant investment required to restore and certify the old airstrip for modern use is considered prohibitive and unnecessary.
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