Aviation Infrastructure Funding

To be eligible for B.C. Air Access Program (BCAAP) consideration, the applicant must:

• Operate a public use airport, heliport or water aerodrome
• Serve fewer than one (1) million passengers annually
• Be the air facility operator (local government, non-profit operating society or contracted operator)

A contracted operator can apply on behalf of a local government or non-profit society. However, the local government or non-profit society must sign off on the application and be available to receive grant funds should the application be successful.

Ineligible air facilities include:

• Private air facilities, such as those owned and operated by resorts and used exclusively for their guests and staff
• Air facilities that are owned and operated by the federal government

If you are uncertain whether your facility is eligible, please reach out to the BCAAP team by email at BCAAP@gov.bc.ca or phone at (778) 974-5468.

An eligible entity may submit an application if they meet the following criteria:

• Do not have an active BCAAP project with a start date of more than one year ago
• Have a proposed project that can be completed within one fiscal year
• Can confirm that a project can begin once funding is announced

Grant Funding Cap

The program caps the value of grants to any one applicant (regardless of the number of projects) to $2 million in any given year. However, applicants may submit for multiple projects as long as a separate application is prepared for each.  As BCAAP is a cost-share program, the specific percentage share that any given project will qualify for is detailed in “Funding Amount”.

Grant Funding for Airport Master Plans

BCAAP will accept applications for Airport Master Plans from small facilities – those that have a service area of 10,000 or fewer people. These grants are capped at $35,000 and may be funded at a higher percentage level than other projects.

Funding Amounts

BCAAP is a cost-share program supporting the infrastructure and environmental needs of airports, heliports and water aerodromes. The percentage of funding that BCAAP provides varies based on a range of factors, including:

• Project type:
  • Airside operating areas and avionics projects begin at 75% funding
  • Environmentally focussed projects begin at 75% funding
  • Transitional projects begin at 60% funding
  • Groundside projects begin at 50% funding

Applicants that meet certain criteria may be eligible for a higher percentage (up to an additional 15%) of BCAAP funding, thereby reducing the required contribution from the applicant. The following categories, relating to the project, community or facility, are considered in determining whether a particular application qualifies for additional funding:

• The community is Indigenous, isolated, rural or remote
• The facility:
  • Has limited revenue streams available
  • Has a greenhouse gas reduction plan in place
  • Has policies, procedures or infrastructure in place to support active transportation
• The project is:
  • Required for medevac operations
  • Required for wildfire suppression activities
  • Needed for emergency response/preparedness
  • Required due to an extraordinary event (e.g., flooding)
  • Required to correct a non-compliance with federal aviation regulations
  • Required for climate change mitigation or adaptation
  • Likely to result in significant economic impacts and/or generate revenue for the air facility

Successful recipients of a grant will:

• Be asked to sign a Conditional Grant Agreement (CGA), which lays out the parameters of the grant funding to the proponent
• Receive funding in two or three installments depending on the size of the project, with the initial installment forwarded once the CGA is signed
• Submit progress reports as required
• Submit a final claim package at project conclusion to receive the final payment under the CGA

Isolated, rural or remote communities are those that can only be reliably accessed by air or those that are more than three hours’ travel by road to the next nearest airport.

The BC Air Access Program provides cost-sharing opportunities for infrastructure, environmental and in select cases, airport master plans – all of which must be at eligible, public-use facilities.

Examples of projects that are eligible for BCAAP funding:

• Airside operating area projects such as those related to aprons and runways
• Avionics such as hazard beacons and runway lighting
• Air terminal building enhancements
• Environmental projects such as the preparation of a greenhouse gas inventory (baselining)
• Groundside projects such as parking facility enhancements
• Airport master plans for small airports

Funding is not available for:

• Operation and maintenance costs for existing infrastructure
• Projects that are not in compliance with all applicable regulations and standards

Through this cost-sharing program, facility operators can invest in safety, social improvements (such as improved medevac) and climate/environmental projects that help strengthen local, regional and provincial economies. BCAAP encourages funding partnerships with Indigenous, local, regional and federal governments, as well as agencies and private-sector organizations.

Successful Grant Applicants

• Communications Protocol and Signage Guidelines (PDF, 321 KB)
• Progress Report (use for facility master plans) (PDF, 1 MB)
• Progress Report (use for all other projects) (PDF, 1.2 MB)
• Summary of Expenditures (PDF, 113KB)
• B.C. Air Access Program Final Report (PDF, 702KB)