Gagnon Airport

Economic reasons. The airport's existence was entirely dependent on the town of Gagnon, a single-industry company town built to support the Fire Lake iron ore mine. When the Québec Cartier Mining Company deemed the mine unprofitable and ceased operations in 1985, the entire town was shut down and dismantled. Consequently, the airport, having lost its sole purpose, was closed and abandoned at the same time.

The airport is completely abandoned and has been for decades. All airport buildings, including the terminal and hangars, have been demolished, and navigational aids have been removed. The asphalt runway and some taxiways are still visible and largely intact, but they are unmaintained, cracked, and being slowly reclaimed by nature. The site is now just a landmark along Quebec Route 389 in an otherwise uninhabited wilderness. The abandoned runway is reportedly used for informal, unauthorized activities such as drag racing and driver testing by individuals from surrounding areas.

Gagnon Airport (former ICAO: CYGX, IATA: YGA) was the critical transportation link for the remote mining community of Gagnon. Established in the late 1950s, it was a modern facility for its time, featuring a paved runway of approximately 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) capable of handling jet aircraft. It was primarily served by the airline Quebecair, which operated flights using aircraft like the Boeing 737-200 and Fairchild F-27, connecting the isolated town to major hubs such as Montréal, Québec City, and Sept-Îles. The airport was essential for transporting workers, their families, mail, fresh food, and critical supplies, making life possible in this remote northern location. Its history is a direct reflection of the rise and fall of company towns built for resource extraction in mid-20th century Canada. (Note: The identifier CA-0140 is an unofficial code used in some databases or flight simulators for decommissioned airfields; its official identifiers when active were CYGX and YGA).

There are no plans or realistic prospects for reopening Gagnon Airport. The primary reason for its existence—the town of Gagnon—was completely erased from the map. Without a community or a significant industrial operation to serve, there is no economic justification for the immense cost of rebuilding and operating an airport in this remote location. The infrastructure would need to be built from scratch, and there is no current or projected demand.