Small airport, big connections: YCD keeps our communities moving

When people think of Nanaimo Airport (YCD), they often picture passenger flights linking central Vancouver Island with the rest of Canada and beyond.

While that role as a transportation hub is important, YCD is more than a place to catch a flight. It is essential infrastructure that supports economic growth, public safety and community well-being.

The airport helps drive the regional economy by supporting business and trade. Local companies rely on air service to meet clients, move staff and expand their reach. Cargo operations help transport time-sensitive goods.

The airport also creates employment. It supports direct jobs in airport operations. Indirectly, it supports jobs in security, maintenance, airlines, food services and car rentals. Added to that are many jobs in tourism, hospitality, transportation, construction and other sectors that depend on air access.

The spin-off benefits touch communities across the region YCD serves.

The airport also plays a critical role in emergency services.

Air ambulances use YCD to move patients quickly to larger hospitals for urgent treatment. In those situations, having a safe, reliable airport close to home can make a meaningful difference for families across the region.

During wildfire season, aircraft move crews, equipment and supplies where they are needed most. The airport becomes part of a coordinated network working to protect communities across Vancouver Island and beyond.

Flight training is another important activity at YCD. Students and instructors use the airport’s facilities to build skills and gain experience. That work helps prepare the next generation of aviation professionals and contributes to Canada’s broader aviation sector.

Beyond its economic and emergency roles, YCD also supports the Vancouver Island way of life. It helps people live and work here while staying connected to family, education and opportunity around the rest of the country and the world.

It may be a small airport but it makes a big impact.