Murdochville Airport

The closure was a direct result of economic collapse in the town. The airport's existence was intrinsically linked to the Gaspé Copper Mine (owned by Noranda), which was the town's sole economic driver. When the mine's smelter and operations were permanently shut down in April 2002, it led to a mass exodus of the population and the collapse of the local economy. With its primary corporate and passenger user base gone, the airport was no longer financially viable to operate or maintain.

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. The physical site still exists, featuring a single paved runway approximately 1,524 meters (5,000 feet) in length. Large white 'X' markings are painted at both ends of the runway, the standard visual signal that an airfield is closed to all traffic. Any terminal buildings, hangars, or navigational aids have been removed. The runway surface is weathered and unmaintained. The entire area surrounding the former airport has been repurposed for the Murdochville Wind Farm, one of Canada's largest, and the landscape is now dominated by large wind turbines.

Murdochville Airport was a critical piece of infrastructure for the remote mining town of Murdochville. Established to serve the Gaspé Copper Mine, its primary role was to facilitate corporate and industrial travel, allowing for the transport of executives, engineers, specialized technicians, and urgent high-value parts. For the community, it was a lifeline, significantly reducing the isolation imposed by its location deep within the Gaspé Peninsula's Chic-Choc Mountains. The airport supported vital services including air ambulance (medevac) flights and general aviation. During the town's peak prosperity, it also handled scheduled and charter passenger flights from regional carriers like Quebecair, connecting residents to major urban centers like Montreal and Quebec City.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Murdochville Airport. The economic and demographic conditions that would support an airport no longer exist in the town. The nearby Gaspé (Michel-Pouliot) Airport (CYGP), located approximately a one-hour drive away, adequately serves the current air transportation needs of the wider region. The prohibitive costs associated with recertifying, rebuilding infrastructure, staffing, and maintaining an airport for a small population make its revival economically unfeasible.