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Wiarton Airport, often marketed as Wiarton-Keppel International Airport, is a small regional field on Ontario's Bruce Peninsula, owned and operated by the Township of Georgian Bluffs. It offers two hard-surfaced, lit runways and has in recent years hosted limited scheduled air service alongside general aviation and training traffic, making it a useful VFR destination for pilots exploring the Grey-Bruce region.
Wiarton Airport, known locally and in promotional material as Wiarton-Keppel International Airport, sits on the Bruce Peninsula in Grey County, Ontario, and is owned by the Township of Georgian Bluffs. It is a medium-sized general aviation field with two hard-surfaced runways, and it has periodically supported scheduled commuter flights as well as training, touring and corporate traffic, making it an interesting stop for simulator pilots flying the Georgian Bay and Bruce Peninsula area.
The airport lies at Wiarton, Ontario, within Georgian Bluffs Township on the Bruce Peninsula, an area bordered by Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. It is designated a Mandatory Frequency (MF) aerodrome, meaning pilots operating in the vicinity are required to report their positions and intentions on the published frequency. Overlying and surrounding airspace is worked by Toronto Center and, for flight service, London Radio.
Wiarton Airport has two paved, lit runways. The longer is runway 05/23, 5,013 feet long with a hard surface, while runway 11/29 is 3,589 feet long, also hard-surfaced and lit. There is no ILS at the field, so approaches are conducted visually or using non-precision procedures where available.
The aerodrome operates as a Mandatory Frequency (MF) field with air-to-ground (A/G) communications on 122.2 MHz. Overlying centre services are provided by Toronto Center on 132.575 MHz, and flight service is available from London Radio on 126.7 MHz. There is no instrument landing system at Wiarton.
As a Mandatory Frequency aerodrome, pilots inbound to or operating within the Wiarton control zone are expected to broadcast their position and intentions on the 122.2 MHz A/G frequency so that other traffic can maintain separation. No specific circuit heights, noise abatement measures or local joining procedures are detailed in the available sources.
No published visual reference points or specific landmark reporting points for joining at Wiarton are given in the available sources.
Wiarton Airport is owned outright by the Township of Georgian Bluffs, which has invested in the facility with the stated aim of developing it into the Grey-Bruce region's aviation hub for leisure, corporate, business and recreational travellers. In April 2019, the Township and the airline FLYGTA announced scheduled flights linking Wiarton-Keppel International Airport with Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, using eight-passenger twin-engined aircraft, with the route intended to serve Grey Bruce visitors travelling to the Bruce Peninsula and Tobermory. The service was planned to run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from late May through late October, with an air time of around forty minutes, and formed part of a wider push to connect the region through the Southern Ontario Airport Network concept.
The airport continues to be operated day to day with a staffed terminal housing various tenants, and fuel is available through a card-lock system even during periods of restricted terminal access. General aviation, business and recreational flying make up the bulk of movements, alongside the periodic scheduled service to Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport that has operated in past seasons. Prior permission may be required for certain operations; pilots should confirm current arrangements before flying in.
