Woss Airport

Economic and logistical reasons. The airport was a private facility owned and operated by Western Forest Products to support its logging operations. The company decommissioned the strip, likely due to a combination of reduced operational need, high maintenance costs, and potential liability concerns associated with running a private aerodrome.

The site is officially closed to all air traffic and is no longer a registered aerodrome. The physical gravel runway remains clearly visible but is unmaintained for aviation purposes. The land is still owned by Western Forest Products, and the former runway is reportedly used for local vehicle access, industrial equipment storage, and as an informal access road for the adjacent logging operations and log sort. While decommissioned, its existence as a long, flat area means it might be used for an emergency landing in a dire situation, though this is not its intended or approved function.

The Woss Airport was a private aerodrome that served as a critical piece of infrastructure for the remote logging community of Woss on Vancouver Island. Its primary function was to support the extensive forestry operations of its owner, Western Forest Products. The airstrip handled charter flights for transporting personnel, urgent equipment parts, and company officials. Critically, it was a vital link for medical evacuations (medevac) and provided emergency air access for the community, which was particularly important before significant upgrades were completed on the nearby Highway 19. The airport's operations would have consisted of small, rugged aircraft capable of using a short, unpaved runway, such as de Havilland Beavers, Cessna 185s, and similar bush planes.

There are no current official plans to reopen the airport. A 2014 'Regional Air Transportation Strategy' report commissioned by the Regional District of Mount Waddington evaluated the possibility of upgrading and reopening the Woss airstrip to serve as a registered public aerodrome. The study concluded that while there was community interest, the project was not financially viable. It cited an estimated upgrade cost of over $1.3 million and annual operating costs of $25,000, which were deemed too high for the potential benefits. The report recommended focusing regional resources on established airports like Port McNeill (CYMP) and Port Hardy (CYZT). Consequently, the prospects for reopening are considered very low.