Castlegar/West Kootenay Regional Airport guide

West Kootenay Regional Airport sits on a bench above the Columbia River, about 3.7 km south-southeast of Castlegar. It serves the West Kootenay region, including Castlegar, Trail and Nelson. The City of Castlegar owns and operates it, and the airport manager's office is on site.

The airport has one asphalt runway, 15/33, which is 1,615 m (5,299 ft) long. Elevation is 496 m (1,626 ft). Mountains block straight-in approaches, so pilots fly a steep 5.0 degree glideslope instead of the standard 3.0 degrees. The airport is certified for day operations only. Weather cancellations are frequent enough that locals call it "Cancelgar". A program of six beacons on the Columbia Valley hills now allows night takeoffs, used mainly by air ambulance and medical flights.

Scheduled service is a daily Air Canada flight to the Vancouver domestic terminal, flown by Jazz Aviation. The airport is an airport of entry staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency, limited to general aviation aircraft carrying no more than 15 passengers. It also hosts the BC Government's Southeast Fire Centre. The passenger terminal covers 1,423 sq m (15,317 sq ft), and the airport provides passenger screening. About 28,800 passengers used it in 2024.