Aéroport de Kangirsuk (YKG)

Kangirsuk Airport (IATA: YKG / ICAO: CYAS) serves the remote village of Kangirsuk in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, Canada. Nestled along the banks of the Payne River, this modest airport is a crucial lifeline for the community's approximately 550 residents. Besides facilitating travel, it ensures the vital delivery of goods and medical services which are otherwise inaccessible due to the village's isolation.

The airport was established to mitigate the challenges posed by Nunavik's rugged terrain and extreme weather. Today, Kangirsuk Airport functions as a regional airport. It caters primarily to domestic flights connecting Kangirsuk to other northern Quebec communities and to larger hubs such as Kuujjuaq. Although small, the airport is indispensable, enabling essential connectivity in a region where ground transportation is virtually non-existent for much of the year.

Kangirsuk Airport features a single gravel runway, approximately 3,520 feet in length, facilitating the operations of aircraft suited for short, unpaved runways. Due to its critical role, the airport is serviced by Air Inuit, the sole airline operating scheduled flights. In a typical year, it handles a modest but significant number of flights, serving several thousand passengers. The airport's infrastructure is basic but adequate, designed to meet the unique needs of the area.

Despite the limited scale, Kangirsuk Airport's contribution to the region's socio-economic stability cannot be overstated. It remains a pivotal access point for the arctic community, embodying a blend of tradition and modernity in the heart of Nunavik.