Kakwa Airport

Kakwa, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport

ICAO

CA-0177

IATA

-

Elevation

4013 ft

Region

CA-AB

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 54.421364° N, -118.980596° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: FA6

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 24, 2025
Closure Date

The exact date is not documented in public records, but it was likely decommissioned sometime in the mid-to-late 2000s. It was listed as operational in Canadian Flight Supplements in the early 2000s but has since been officially marked as closed in all aviation databases.

Reason for Closure

Economic reasons. Kakwa Airport was a private, unregistered aerodrome built and maintained to support industrial activity, primarily oil and gas exploration and production in the remote Kakwa region of Alberta. Its closure is directly linked to the changing needs of the resource companies operating in the area. As specific projects were completed, operational focus shifted, or all-weather road access improved, the significant cost of maintaining and operating a remote airstrip was no longer justifiable.

Current Status

The site is an abandoned and unmaintained airstrip. Satellite imagery confirms the gravel runway is still clearly visible but is in a state of disrepair, with vegetation growing over the surface. There are no buildings or active facilities on site. The land is likely Crown land or part of a disposition held by an energy company. It is not used for any official purpose and is considered unsafe for any aviation operations.

Historical Significance

The airport's significance was purely logistical and industrial. It served as a vital air-link for energy and forestry companies operating in the rugged and otherwise inaccessible terrain of the Kakwa Wildland Park region. Operations primarily consisted of:
- Charter flights carrying workers, engineers, and executives to and from remote work sites.
- Transport of urgent supplies, replacement parts for machinery, and other essential cargo.
- A staging point for helicopters supporting drilling, seismic, or pipeline operations.
It would have typically handled robust, STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-2 Beaver, or turboprops like the Beechcraft King Air.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kakwa Airport. The economic and logistical drivers that led to its creation no longer exist in the same capacity. Any future large-scale industrial project in the immediate vicinity would likely rely on improved road networks or helicopter support. The substantial cost required to clear, regrade, and recertify the airstrip for safe use makes its revival highly improbable without a significant new economic incentive.

Nearby Airports

Smoky City Airport
CA-0346
NoneCA
Closed Airport
~45 km away
Smoky Tower Airport
CA-0347
NoneCA
Closed Airport
~45 km away
Gold Creek Airport
CA-0146
NoneCA
Closed Airport
~51 km away
Grande Cache Airport
CA-1029
Grande Cache, CA
Closed Airport
~57 km away
Sherman Meadows Airport
CA-0335
Greenview, CA
Closed Airport
~58 km away
Grovedale Fire Hall Heliport
CGR8
Greenview No. 16, CA
Heliport
~67 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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