The Government of B.C. is providing over $6 million in funding to B.C. community and regional airports this year, as part of the new B.C. Air Access Program. The program is part of B.C. on the Move, the Province’s new 10-year transportation plan.

“Providing smaller and regional airports with funding support for infrastructure improvements was a common theme we heard during our B.C. on the Move consultations,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone. “The B.C. Air Access Program will help these airports make crucial upgrades to their infrastructure for safety, reliability and expansion purposes.”

Through the B.C. Air Access Program, the ministry will cost share with public airports on projects such as lighting and navigational systems, terminal building expansion or upgrades, and runway improvements. These types of projects will allow airports to improve safety, accommodate larger aircrafts and more frequent flights, and further support the continuing growth of local and provincial economies.

The ministry is investing $24 million over the next three years for the B.C. Air Access Program.

The program also encourages funding partnerships with the federal government, local and regional governments and agencies, and the private sector.

B.C. on the Move is government’s new 10-year plan for the improvement of the province’s transportation network. It provides a comprehensive road map for transportation investments and strategic policy actions over the next decade. The actions prioritized in B.C. on the Move will enhance safety, grow the economy, maintain and replace aging infrastructure, and support trade for B.C.’s expanding resource sectors through Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway.

Over the next three years, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will invest almost $2.5 billion to improve British Columbia’s transportation network.

A backgrounder follows.