Pitt Meadows Regional Airport Featured in Business View Magazine
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The November 2025 issue of Business View Magazine spotlights Pitt Meadows Regional Airport (IATA: YPK) under the headline “Reaching New Aviation Heights” — and for good reason. Once defined by outdated trailers serving as its terminal, the airport has undergone a comprehensive transformation. Today, a 50,000–60,000 square-foot terminal stands proud, runways and taxiways have been renewed, and modern lighting and signage now cover the airfield. These enhancements reflect a broader ambition: to turn YPK into a major hub for general aviation, flight training, business aviation, and regional economic development. You can read the full Business View Magazine article here.
With approximately 190,000 aircraft movements per year, YPK now ranks among Canada’s ten busiest airports. Business View Digital Magazine
What’s Driving the Growth
Comprehensive Infrastructure Renewal
Under leadership of the Pitt Meadows Airport Society and its management team, nearly every major facility at YPK has been upgraded — from runways and taxiways to parking, sidewalks, and perimeter fencing. The transformation reflects a philosophy: build a clean, safe, and modern environment to attract private investment.
Diverse and Growing Aviation Activity
YPK is now a vibrant ecosystem combining:
Flight training — including multiple flight schools that train students from across Canada and overseas. Many students complete their commercial certification here and move directly to airlines.
Corporate and executive aviation — bolstered by a modern terminal and the presence of full-service FBO Integrity Flight Support, which offers jet fuel, ground handling, ground transportation, accommodations, and concierge services. Recent approval by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) allows on-site screening for aircraft carrying up to 15 passengers. This enables business jets to arrive directly from destinations such as Reno, Los Angeles, or Mexico — a critical advantage for corporate operators.
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activity — dozens of small businesses handle maintenance for both rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft. The airport has cleared older hangars and opened space for new facilities; large hangars are under construction, promising hundreds of new jobs.
Combined, these activities make YPK a community-driven aviation hub that supports both local and international operations.
Strategic Vision: More Than Just an Airport
What sets Pitt Meadows apart is a multi-dimensional vision. The airport is not just for flights — it aims to become a regional engine of economic growth, a center for aviation heritage, and a community asset. Key components of this vision include:
Heritage & tourism — YPK is working with the Canadian Museum of Flight to potentially relocate the museum from Langley to a three-acre parcel on airport property. The plan foresees a 30,000-square-foot facility to house larger collections and interactive exhibits, attracting families, tourists, and school groups.
Community-oriented development — An 11-acre waterfront development is proposed, featuring a boardwalk, boutique shops, pathways, and park space. The intention is to open up airport grounds to the broader public, offer recreational amenity, and integrate the airport into community life.
Strategic connectivity — YPK benefits from a favourable location: proximities to Highway 7, Highway 1 via the Golden Ears Bridge, rail and marine access, and only 11 minutes by helicopter to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). This makes the airport an appealing base for aviation-related businesses and supports workforce recruitment.
This strategy reflects a forward-looking mindset: not merely operating an airfield — but building a sustainable, diversified aviation hub that supports business, heritage, tourism, and community.
Economic Impact & Regional Benefits
According to a 2024 economic-impact assessment by consulting firm InterVISTAS Consulting, YPK supports about 840 direct and indirect jobs, contributes roughly CAD $90 million annually to Canada’s GDP, and generates total economic output of about CAD $170 million. Annual tax contributions are estimated at CAD $16 million.
For the surrounding region — including the municipalities of Maple Ridge, British Columbia and Pitt Meadows, British Columbia — these numbers translate into substantial economic value and reinforce the airport’s role as a regional economic engine.
What This Means for Industry Stakeholders
For aircraft operators, flight schools, and aviation-service providers, Pitt Meadows is emerging as one of Western Canada’s most attractive general-aviation hubs. The combination of modern infrastructure, open development land, competitive lease rates (thanks to the not-for-profit structure), and proximity to a major metropolitan area offers a compelling value proposition.
For investors looking to back MRO facilities, hangars, or service businesses — or for prospective charter and corporate-jet customers — YPK presents a strategic alternative to congested major airports.
And for the community, the airport exemplifies how aviation infrastructure can deliver broader social and economic dividends: jobs, heritage tourism, community amenities, and enhanced connectivity without the disruption of large commercial jet traffic.
Forward — and Upward
As the article in Business View concludes, the foundation has been rebuilt — and what lies ahead reflects ambition grounded in strategy. The priorities for the future are clear: sustainable growth, continued infrastructure investment, and building on the reputation YPK has already earned. Stakeholders describe YPK as an “aviation gateway” — not just for flight operations, but for opportunity, development, and regional prosperity.
For those interested in learning more, the airport’s official website can be found at www.flyypk.ca