Ottawa puts $85.5 million into Rankin Inlet airport rehabilitation

Ottawa is committing $85.5 million to rehabilitate Rankin Inlet Airport’s runway, taxiways and apron surfaces as the community opens a new air-terminal building.

The Arctic Infrastructure Fund money will cover about 141,000 square metres of pavement, including Runway 13-31 and Taxiways A and C. Transport Canada says the work is intended to extend the airfield’s service life by 15 to 20 years and reduce maintenance needs.

The project complements a separate National Defence runway investment. The federal government describes the airport as dual-use infrastructure supporting passenger and cargo links, emergency and medevac service, and military operations in the North.

The terminal building was backed by nearly $63.5 million from the National Trade Corridors Fund. The September 28 announcement did not provide a rehabilitation completion date.

Source: Transport Canada release distributed by Cision, September 28, 2026.

Illustrative stock photo: Marc Wieland via Unsplash, under the Unsplash License. Resized; not a photograph of Rankin Inlet Airport.