RCAF Maitland

Military Demobilization. The airfield was a purpose-built training facility for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) during World War II. With the winding down of the war and the decreased need for aircrew training, the operational unit was disbanded and the station was subsequently closed as part of post-war demobilization.

The site is no longer an active airport. The original triangular runway pattern is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but the surfaces are severely deteriorated, overgrown with vegetation, and unusable for aviation. The former airfield has been repurposed and is now the location of the Maitland Industrial Park. Various industrial buildings, including a large warehouse for the Sobeys grocery chain, have been constructed on the property, particularly on the northern and central sections of the old airfield.

RCAF Station Maitland was a crucial component of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) during World War II. It was not a standalone station but operated as a relief airfield for No. 31 Operational Training Unit (OTU), whose main base was at RCAF Station Debert. The Royal Air Force's No. 31 OTU was responsible for advanced General Reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare training. Crews trained here, primarily on Avro Anson aircraft, to patrol the Atlantic and combat the German U-boat threat in the Battle of the Atlantic. The airfield's triangular runway layout is a classic design for WWII training bases. Although colloquially known as RCAF Maitland, it was primarily used by the RAF's No. 31 OTU under the BCATP agreement.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RCAF Maitland as an airport. The infrastructure is in a state of disrepair, and the site has been significantly redeveloped for industrial use, making any future conversion back to an aviation facility highly improbable and economically unfeasible.