Tuktoyaktuk (Imperial) Airport

Replacement and modernization. The Imperial Airport was a relatively short gravel strip (approximately 3,000 ft) located within the hamlet, which limited the size of aircraft it could handle and prevented expansion. It was replaced by the Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport (CYUB), a modern facility with a longer runway (5,000 ft) located safely outside the community. The new airport is capable of accommodating larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-200 combi, providing more reliable, year-round service to meet the community's and industry's needs.

The airport site has been fully decommissioned and redeveloped. The former runway has been converted into a local gravel road, now named 'Airport Road'. Residential and commercial buildings have been constructed on and adjacent to the old runway and apron areas. The land is now completely integrated into the infrastructure of the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk.

Constructed in the 1970s, the airport was built by Imperial Oil to support the extensive oil and gas exploration activities in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta. It served as the primary land-based aerodrome for Tuktoyaktuk, a significant upgrade from the seasonal ice runway on the harbour and floatplane operations. As a vital transportation link, it handled scheduled and charter passenger and cargo flights, primarily using STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft like the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-4 Caribou. It was a critical lifeline for the remote community, facilitating the movement of personnel, supplies, and essential services for decades before the construction of the all-weather Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The site has been permanently repurposed for community development. The hamlet's aviation needs are fully met by the modern Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport (CYUB), and the community now also has year-round ground access via the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, which opened in 2017.