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Boundary Bay Airport (Coordinates: N490426 W1230027) is located beside Boundary Bay 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 fifth busiest airport by total aircraft movements, and the busiest airport by number of circuits. From this, Boundary Bay is often cited as Canada's busiest "training airport".

In December 2004, Boundary Bay Airport was acquired by Alpha Aviation. In April 2008, Alpha Executive Air established a fixed Base Operation (FBO) and 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.

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.

History

After the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan came into effect in 1939, the Royal Canadian Air Force began looking for locations at which to train pilots for Second World War. Boundary Bay was one location that was selected, and in 1940, land from three farms was appropriated for an airport. Construction proceeded slowly as boggy areas had to be filled with hay and gravel, but gravel roads and runways were in place for the base's opening on April 10, 1941. No. 18 Elementary Flight Training School (No. 18 EFTS) was the first unit established at the newly created Royal Canadian Air Force Station Boundary Bay. Flying De Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes, No. 18 EFTS's training was provided by private civilian instructors. Pilots would train in conjunction with the No. 8 EFTS stationed at RCAF Station Sea Island (current site of Vancouver International Airport) and would also use facilities at the nearby Langley Airport. On May 25, 1942, No. 18 EFTS was disbanded and its personnel and equipment were transferred to No. 5 Operational Training Unit (No. 5 OTU) which ran flight operations at Abbotsford as well.

Boundary Bay's first operational squadron arrived from Lethbridge, Alberta on October 5, 1943. No. 133 Squadron flew Hawker Hurricanes and was tasked with intercepting Japanese fire balloons. On July 1, 1943, No. 133 Squadron was moved to Tofino. As the war in the Pacific escalated, Boundary Bay would also host B-24 Liberators and Handley Page Hampden torpedo bombers. After the war, the airport was no longer needed. No. 5 OTU left the base on October 31, 1945, and the RCAF decommissioned the base in 1946.

The site was left unused until it was transferred to Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in 1949. Re-established as the Vancouver Wireless Station, the site operated radio equipment for communication and gathering signals intelligence. When the Canadian Forces were unified in 1968, the site was renamed Canadian Forces Station Ladner. The downsizing associated with unification would soon hit CFS Ladner, and in 1971 it was permanently closed.

Following the closure of CFS Ladner, 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 December 1, 2004 under lease currently held by the Corporation of Delta. Shortly thereafter, under 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 Canadian Helicopters (CHC) moved into new facilities at Boundary Bay Airport. A 250,000 square foot building was constructed to provide repair and maintenance services to a world-wide market. Other maintenance facilities include Pro Aircraft Maintenance, Safari, Firkus Aircraft, Tasman Helicopters, and Pacific Flying Club.

Boundary Bay Airport is renowned for its flying schools, with Pacific Professional Flight Centre, SeaLand, Montair, Canadian Flight Centre, International Flight Centre, and Pacific Flying Club offering flight instruction.