Bella Coola Water Aerodrome

The closure was an administrative de-registration rather than a closure due to a specific incident, economic failure, or military conversion. This often occurs when the private operator of the aerodrome ceases operations, no longer requires a registered water landing site, or when services are consolidated. Floatplane operations in the community are now primarily centered at the nearby registered Bella Coola (Campbell Island) Water Aerodrome (CAT4), making the CA-0540 designation redundant.

The physical location at coordinates 52.3774, -126.7954 is an area of water within the North Bentinck Arm, adjacent to the Bella Coola townsite and marina. The specific aerodrome identifier CA-0540 is no longer active. The waterway itself remains in use for general marine traffic. All official and registered floatplane services for Bella Coola are now handled by the Bella Coola (Campbell Island) Water Aerodrome (CAT4), which is located nearby and remains fully operational.

As a water aerodrome in the remote Bella Coola Valley, CA-0540 was part of a critical transportation network. Before being de-registered, it would have supported charter and private floatplane operations essential for the region. Aircraft such as the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, and various Cessna models on floats would have used the site. These operations were vital for connecting isolated logging camps, fishing lodges, and remote First Nations communities. The aerodrome also played a role in the local tourism economy, providing air access for grizzly bear viewing, heli-skiing transfers, and wilderness exploration in the Great Bear Rainforest.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen or re-register the CA-0540 aerodrome. Its function has been entirely superseded by the active and officially registered Bella Coola (Campbell Island) Water Aerodrome (CAT4), which adequately serves the current needs of the community for commercial and private floatplane traffic. Reinstating the CA-0540 designation would be redundant.