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Trail Regional Airport (CAD4/YZZ) lies in the Columbia River valley about six nautical miles southeast of Trail, British Columbia, serving the wider West Kootenay region including Nelson and Castlegar. It offers a single hard-surfaced runway with GPS approaches from both directions and is the base for scheduled Pacific Coastal Airlines services to Vancouver, making it a useful VFR waypoint and destination for pilots operating in this mountainous corner of the province.
Trail Regional Airport sits in a narrow valley beside the Columbia River in southeastern British Columbia, operated by the City of Trail. It is the principal air link for the communities of Trail, Nelson and Castlegar, and hosts scheduled airline service alongside general aviation traffic. For a simulator pilot, the airport's valley setting and terrain-influenced approaches make it an engaging destination in the West Kootenay region.
The airport is located roughly 6.1 nautical miles southeast of the town of Trail, British Columbia, in a valley formed by the Columbia River. It lies within the wider West Kootenay area and is used as the regional gateway for surrounding communities including Nelson and Castlegar.
The airfield has a single runway, aligned 16/34, with a hard surface and runway lighting. The northeast-facing 16 threshold gives a length of 4,470 ft, while the reciprocal 34 threshold gives 4,286 ft. There is no ILS at the field.
Trail Regional Airport uses an Aerodrome Traffic Frequency (ATF) of 123.2 MHz for local traffic communication. The airport provides GPS approaches from the north for runway 16 and from the south for runway 34, but has no ILS.
The airport sits in the valley of the Columbia River, a prominent linear feature useful for orientation on approach. On the ground, the field is reached from Highway 3B via the junction with Highway 22A at Waneta Junction, a recognisable landmark for those approaching by road or referencing local charts.
The airport has long served as the aviation gateway for Trail and the neighbouring communities of Nelson and Castlegar. Scheduled airline service by Pacific Coastal Airlines began on 10 April 2006, initially using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft and occasionally larger Saab 340s. In December 2017, funding from the B.C. Air Access Program allowed the City of Trail to build a new 390 square metre (4,200 sq ft) terminal building, improving facilities for the airport's yearly traffic of more than 22,000 travellers.
Trail Regional Airport remains an active regional airport owned and operated by the City of Trail, with scheduled Pacific Coastal Airlines flights connecting to Vancouver. The airport terminal, rebuilt in 2017, provides passenger facilities alongside continuing general aviation use of the single runway.
