Holman Water Aerodrome

Logistical and economic obsolescence. The primary reason for the closure was the establishment and subsequent upgrades of the land-based Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (CYUH). This gravel runway provided a more reliable, year-round, and higher-capacity alternative for passenger and cargo transport. Land-based aircraft are not subject to the seasonal limitations of a water aerodrome (i.e., ice cover for approximately 8-9 months of the year) and can handle larger payloads and operate in a wider range of weather conditions. This made the seasonal floatplane base redundant for scheduled and essential services.

The site is no longer a registered or maintained aerodrome. The coordinates 70.7347, -117.760401 point to the open water of Queens Bay, adjacent to the community of Ulukhaktok. The area is now used for local maritime activities, including boating, subsistence hunting, and fishing. There are no remaining dedicated aviation facilities such as docks, moorings, or fuel caches. While a private floatplane could technically land on the water surface (subject to regulations), it is not an official, supported aviation facility.

The Holman Water Aerodrome was a critical lifeline for the remote community of Holman (the former name of Ulukhaktok) during the brief ice-free summer months. Before the establishment of a reliable, year-round land runway, the water aerodrome was the primary point of aerial access for essential services. It handled float-equipped aircraft, such as the iconic de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter. These aircraft transported mail, medical supplies, food, personnel for government and resource exploration activities, and local residents. It connected the isolated community to regional hubs like Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay, playing a vital role in its sustenance and development.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Holman Water Aerodrome in any official capacity. The community's aviation needs are fully and more efficiently met by the modern, land-based Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (CYUH), which operates year-round and accommodates larger, more capable turboprop aircraft like the ATR 42. Re-establishing a formal water aerodrome would be economically unviable and logistically unnecessary.