Pukatawagan Seaplane Base

Pukatawagan, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport

ICAO

CA-1139

IATA

-

Elevation

898 ft

Region

CA-MB

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 55.736696° N, -101.327002° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: KP4 KP4 CKP4

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

Approximately late 2011 / early 2012. The seaplane base was rendered obsolete upon the official opening of the land-based Pukatawagan Airport (IATA: XPK, ICAO: CZFG) in November 2011.

Reason for Closure

Replacement by a superior, all-weather land-based airport. The community of Pukatawagan, a remote fly-in community, previously relied on seasonal air access via floatplanes in the summer and ski-planes or a winter road in the winter. The construction of the Pukatawagan Airport (CZFG) with its 3,500-foot gravel runway provided reliable, year-round air service, making the seasonal and more limited seaplane base redundant.

Current Status

The site is no longer a registered or operational aerodrome. The physical location is simply a section of Pukatawagan Lake. Any docks or shore-based infrastructure specifically built for seaplane operations have likely been removed or have fallen into disuse. The area is now used for general recreational purposes like boating and fishing. While private floatplanes could still technically land on the water, there are no official services, and all commercial and essential air traffic now uses the Pukatawagan Airport (CZFG).

Historical Significance

Prior to 2011, the Pukatawagan Seaplane Base was a critical lifeline for the Mathias Colomb First Nation community. It served as the primary air access point during the ice-free months. Operations consisted of chartered and scheduled flights using float-equipped aircraft, such as the De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter, and various Cessna models. These flights were essential for transporting passengers, mail, groceries, medical supplies, and facilitating medical evacuations. The base connected the isolated community to larger hubs like The Pas and Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or logical prospects for reopening the official seaplane base. The community's transportation needs are fully and more effectively met by the permanent, year-round Pukatawagan Airport. Re-establishing an official seaplane base would be economically unviable and operationally redundant.

Nearby Airports

Pukatawagan Airport
XPK • CZFG
Pukatawagan, CA
Small Airport Scheduled Service
~4 km away
Laurie River Airport
LRQ • CJC8
Laurie River, CA
Small Airport
~57 km away
Sandy Bay Airport
CJY4
Sandy Bay, CA
Small Airport
~63 km away
Sandy Bay Seaplane Base
CKB5
NoneCA
Seaplane Base
~67 km away
Mcgavock Lake Seaplane Base
CKJ3
NoneCA
Seaplane Base
~93 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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