Klappan River Airport

The airport's closure was a direct result of the suspension and subsequent cancellation of the Klappan Anthracite Coal Project. The project faced intense and sustained opposition from the Tahltan First Nation and environmental groups due to its location in the ecologically and culturally vital area known as the Klabona (Sacred Headwaters). This region is the source of three major salmon-bearing rivers: the Stikine, Skeena, and Nass. The halt of the mining project rendered the airport obsolete.

The site is abandoned and is now located within the Klappan Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA). This protected area was formally established in 2019 through a partnership between the Tahltan Nation, the B.C. government, and conservation groups. Satellite imagery shows the runway is still clearly visible but is unmaintained and is being slowly reclaimed by the surrounding sub-alpine environment. The site is completely inactive and serves as a remnant of the cancelled industrial project within a now-protected wilderness.

Klappan River Airport was a private aerodrome with no public access or service. Its sole purpose and historical significance are tied to the large-scale, controversial mining exploration efforts by Fortune Minerals Ltd. in the early 21st century. Constructed around 2005-2006, the 3,500-foot gravel runway was a critical piece of infrastructure, enabling the transport of personnel, supplies, and equipment to the remote exploration camp. It primarily handled charter flights of STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-2 Beaver, as well as helicopters. The airport was a key logistical asset for the project but also a focal point of the environmental and Indigenous rights conflict in the region.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the Klappan River Airport. Its location within a legally established Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area precludes any future industrial or transportation development. The land is now managed for cultural and ecological preservation under the stewardship of the Tahltan Nation. Any future use of the land would be for conservation or cultural purposes, making the revival of an airport incompatible with the area's designated status.