Hotchkiss Airport

Economic reasons. Hotchkiss Airport was a private aerodrome built to support resource industry operations, most likely oil and gas exploration or forestry, in a remote part of northern Alberta. This type of airstrip is typically built for a specific project. The closure was a direct result of the cessation of the project it was built to serve, or a shift in the company's logistical strategy, rendering the airstrip obsolete. This is a common fate for private, industrial airstrips in the Canadian north.

The airport is officially closed and abandoned. Satellite imagery confirms that the physical runway, a single unpaved gravel strip cut out of the boreal forest, still exists and is clearly visible. However, it is unmaintained, has no markings, and lacks any supporting infrastructure like buildings or hangars. The site is not in use for any official purpose and is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

The airport's significance was purely logistical and local. It was not a public airport and had no major historical role. Its sole purpose was to function as a vital transportation hub for a private company, enabling access to a remote worksite. Operations would have involved STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capable aircraft, often referred to as 'bush planes,' such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-2 Beaver, or Cessna Caravan. These aircraft would have transported personnel, time-sensitive supplies, and critical equipment to and from the site, which was likely inaccessible by a reliable, all-weather road.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Hotchkiss Airport. A reopening would be entirely dependent on a new, significant industrial or resource extraction project being initiated in the immediate vicinity that would require the logistical support of a fixed-wing airstrip. Given the cost of rehabilitating and certifying an aerodrome to modern standards, and the increasing use of helicopters for remote site access, the prospect of reopening is considered extremely low.