Boundary Bay Airport
Encyclopedia
Boundary Bay Airport is located beside Boundary Bay
and 2.5 NM east of Ladner
in Delta
, British Columbia
, Canada
, south of Vancouver
and close to the U.S.
border. The airport, which opened 11 July 1983, serves mostly general aviation
and includes facilities for aircraft maintenance, flight training, parking, and air traffic control
training. Boundary Bay is Canada's 8th busiest airport
by total aircraft movements, and the country's third busiest general aviation airport, behind Montreal-Saint Hubert and Toronto-Buttonville
. It is the location of the former Canadian Forces Station Ladner
.
In December 2004, Boundary Bay Airport was acquired by Alpha Aviation. In April 2008, Alpha Aviation established a Fixed-Base Operation (FBO) and Alpha Executive Air began operating regularly scheduled flights twice daily between Boundary Bay Airport and Victoria International Airport
on Vancouver Island
, as well as charter service using turbine pressurized aircraft. Many smaller airlines use Boundary Bay Airport's maintenance facilities. As of 2010, Alpha Executive Air ceased operations but Alpha Aviation's FBO is open serving business, corporate, and general aviation customers.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
by NAV CANADA
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
. CBSA officers are available on call to handle entry for general aviation aircraft carrying no more than 15 passengers.
, the site was used by the community of Ladner
for picnics, public fairs and auto racing. When it became apparent that Vancouver International Airport
could no longer sustain general aviation and commercial traffic, Transport Canada
proposed reactivating Boundary Bay for general aviation. The airport underwent restoration, and on July 11, 1983 two of the three runways were reopened as Boundary Bay Airport. The other runway and some ramp space was made available for driver training and other events.
Alpha Aviation acquired the Boundary Bay Airport and assumed management on 1 December 2004, under a lease currently held by the Corporation of Delta. Shortly thereafter, under the terms of the lease, driver training, auto-X and drag racing were removed from the airport, allowing Alpha Aviation to focus on runway, facility and land-use improvements.
Investment by Alpha Aviation and a grant from the British Columbia government enabled an extension of runway 07/25, improving usability of the runway for corporate jets. The upgrades mean that Boundary Bay Airport may now be included as a prime alternative landing destination to Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
A new maintenance hangar
at the airport is now complete, and the old maintenance hangar has been declared a Heritage site. Space is available on a lease basis in the Heritage hangar for aircraft storage.
In January 2008, Boundary Bay Airport's largest tenant, Heli-One
, a division of CHC Helicopter
moved into new facilities at Boundary Bay Airport. A 250000 sq ft (23,225.8 m²) building was constructed to provide repair and maintenance services. Other maintenance facilities include Firkus Aircraft, Halcyon Aviation, R & Z Avionics, Safari Express Aircraft Maintenance and Ts'ang Aero Marine.
As of February 2010, Alpha Aviation has since opened the new terminal just off taxiway "C". This new facility offers facilities for GA and private aircraft, with services run by Alpha Aviation. The new facility will allow Boundary Bay Airport to accommodate regional airlines.
at the airport:
Fuels available:
Fuel System Icing Inhibitor
and oil are also available.
Boundary Bay
Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington....
and 2.5 NM east of Ladner
Ladner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
in Delta
Delta, British Columbia
Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, south of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and close to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border. The airport, which opened 11 July 1983, serves mostly general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and includes facilities for aircraft maintenance, flight training, parking, and air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
training. Boundary Bay is Canada's 8th busiest airport
Canada's busiest airport
The following is a list of the busiest airports in Canada. The airports are ranked by passenger traffic and aircraft movements. For each airport, the lists cite the city served by the airport as designated by Transport Canada, not necessarily the municipality where the airport is physically...
by total aircraft movements, and the country's third busiest general aviation airport, behind Montreal-Saint Hubert and Toronto-Buttonville
Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport
Buttonville Municipal Airport or Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport is a medium-sized airport in Buttonville, Ontario, Canada, within Markham, bordering Richmond Hill and north of downtown Toronto. It is operated by Toronto Airways Limited. Due to its proximity to Toronto's suburbs, there are...
. It is the location of the former Canadian Forces Station Ladner
Canadian Forces Station Ladner
Canadian Forces Station Ladner is a former military airport and communications station located beside Boundary Bay and east of Ladner in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, south of Vancouver and close to the U.S. border...
.
In December 2004, Boundary Bay Airport was acquired by Alpha Aviation. In April 2008, Alpha Aviation established a Fixed-Base Operation (FBO) and Alpha Executive Air began operating regularly scheduled flights twice daily between Boundary Bay Airport and Victoria International Airport
Victoria International Airport
Victoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is north northwest of the city, in North Saanich, quite close to the town of Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula...
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, as well as charter service using turbine pressurized aircraft. Many smaller airlines use Boundary Bay Airport's maintenance facilities. As of 2010, Alpha Executive Air ceased operations but Alpha Aviation's FBO is open serving business, corporate, and general aviation customers.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
Airport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
by NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
. CBSA officers are available on call to handle entry for general aviation aircraft carrying no more than 15 passengers.
History
Following the closure of Canadian Forces Station LadnerCanadian Forces Station Ladner
Canadian Forces Station Ladner is a former military airport and communications station located beside Boundary Bay and east of Ladner in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, south of Vancouver and close to the U.S. border...
, the site was used by the community of Ladner
Ladner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
for picnics, public fairs and auto racing. When it became apparent that Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
could no longer sustain general aviation and commercial traffic, Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
proposed reactivating Boundary Bay for general aviation. The airport underwent restoration, and on July 11, 1983 two of the three runways were reopened as Boundary Bay Airport. The other runway and some ramp space was made available for driver training and other events.
Alpha Aviation acquired the Boundary Bay Airport and assumed management on 1 December 2004, under a lease currently held by the Corporation of Delta. Shortly thereafter, under the terms of the lease, driver training, auto-X and drag racing were removed from the airport, allowing Alpha Aviation to focus on runway, facility and land-use improvements.
Investment by Alpha Aviation and a grant from the British Columbia government enabled an extension of runway 07/25, improving usability of the runway for corporate jets. The upgrades mean that Boundary Bay Airport may now be included as a prime alternative landing destination to Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
A new maintenance hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
at the airport is now complete, and the old maintenance hangar has been declared a Heritage site. Space is available on a lease basis in the Heritage hangar for aircraft storage.
In January 2008, Boundary Bay Airport's largest tenant, Heli-One
Heli-One
Heli-One is the world’s largest helicopter support company, other than the original manufacturers, and is a subsidiary of CHC Helicopter. The company has more than 900 employees working in Canada, the United States, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.Heli-One is based in Delta, Canada. ...
, a division of CHC Helicopter
CHC Helicopter
CHC Helicopter is one of the world’s largest helicopter services company specializing in: Transportation to offshore oil and gas platforms; Civilian search and rescue services; Helicopter maintenance repair and overhaul...
moved into new facilities at Boundary Bay Airport. A 250000 sq ft (23,225.8 m²) building was constructed to provide repair and maintenance services. Other maintenance facilities include Firkus Aircraft, Halcyon Aviation, R & Z Avionics, Safari Express Aircraft Maintenance and Ts'ang Aero Marine.
As of February 2010, Alpha Aviation has since opened the new terminal just off taxiway "C". This new facility offers facilities for GA and private aircraft, with services run by Alpha Aviation. The new facility will allow Boundary Bay Airport to accommodate regional airlines.
Airlines and Destinations
Flight training
There are several organizations that offer flight trainingFlight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
at the airport:
- Canadian Flight Centre
- International Flight Centre
- Pacific Flying ClubPacific Flying ClubThe Pacific Flying Club is a flight school based out of Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC. It is the largest flight school on the west coast of Canada...
- Pacific Professional Flight Centre
- Sea Land Air
- Montair Aviation
Fuel services
Fuel services at CZBB are currently run by Air BP and Petrovalue Product Canada.Fuels available:
- Avgas 100LLAvgasAvgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
- Jet A1Jet fuelJet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
Fuel System Icing Inhibitor
Fuel System Icing Inhibitor
Fuel system icing inhibitor is an additive to aviation fuels that prevents the formation of ice in fuel lines. FSII is sometimes referred to by the registered, genericized trademark Prist. Jet fuel can contain a small amount of dissolved water that does not appear in particulate form...
and oil are also available.
External links
- Boundary Bay Airport (official site)
- Page about this airport on COPA'sCanadian Owners and Pilots AssociationThe Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes...
Places to Fly airport directory - 67 KNOTS : Aviation website used by students of flight training schools at Boundary Bay Airport