Mahatta River Airport

The closure was due to economic and operational reasons tied directly to the local logging industry. The airport was a private airstrip built and maintained by the logging company (primarily Western Forest Products) to support its remote Mahatta River camp. As logging practices evolved, reliance shifted towards an expanding network of logging roads and the increased use of helicopters for crew transport and medical emergencies. This rendered the fixed-wing airstrip obsolete and no longer cost-effective to maintain.

The site of the former airport is no longer a functional airfield. Satellite imagery confirms that the area has been repurposed and integrated into the adjacent Mahatta River log sort yard. While the faint, straight outline of the former gravel runway is still visible, the surface is overgrown and actively used for industrial purposes such as storing logs, parking heavy machinery, and stockpiling materials.

Mahatta River Airport was a crucial piece of infrastructure for the isolated logging operations on the rugged northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Its primary role was to provide logistical and emergency support for the Mahatta River logging camp. It handled small, STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable bush planes, such as the de Havilland Beaver and Cessna aircraft. Operations included transporting company personnel, flying in urgent supplies and replacement parts for machinery, and, most critically, serving as a lifeline for medical evacuations of injured workers from a location with limited road access.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Mahatta River Airport. The logistical needs of the current forestry operations in the region are adequately met by logging roads and helicopter services. The significant cost to clear, restore, and recertify the airstrip, combined with the lack of a modern operational requirement, makes its reopening highly improbable.