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 million passengers annually
• Be the air facility owner (local government, non-profit operating society or First Nation) or delegated facility 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 the application is designated 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
• Dedicated hospital heliports

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.

Eligible entities may submit an application for a proposed project that can be completed within one fiscal year and can begin once funding is announced

Grant Funding for Infrastructure

The program caps the value of grants to any one applicant (regardless of the number of projects) to $2 million in any given year. Applicants may submit proposals for multiple projects with a separate application 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 20,000 or fewer people. These grants are capped at $35,000 and are funded at a 70% level.

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:
  • Safety of flight, airside and envrionmental projects begin at 75% funding
  • Projects in transitional areas (hangers, terminals) begin at 60% funding
  • Groundside projects begin at 50% funding

Applicants meeting 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 criteria are considered by program staff for additional funding increments:

• Remote communities
• Facilities owned and/or operated by Indigenous governments
• Projects required to bring a certified facility into compliance with minimum federal standards

Successful recipients of a grant will:

• Enter into a Conditional Grant Agreement (CGA) with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, which details 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 quarterly
• Submit a final claim package upon completion of the project to receive the final payment under the CGA

BCAAP is a project-based, cost-sharing grant program administered by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit that supports planning and infrastructure investments on eligible aviation facilities across British Columbia.

Examples of projects that are eligible for BCAAP funding:

• Safety of flight projects such as approach and landing systems, safety area clearance, hazard lighting, deicing equipment, runway surface improvements, snow removal vehicles, and exclusion fencing
• Airside safety projects such as fueling systems and vehicles, signage, and fire equipment
• Airside improvements such as taxiway and apron surface improvements, lighting, turn pads, and floatplane docks
• Transitional area improvements such as terminal expansion and rehabilitation, passenger accessibility improvements, access security, and hangar rehabilitation
• Groundside projects such as access roads, parking facilities, ancillary structures, and maintenance equipment
• Environmental projects such as greenhouse gas (GHG) audits, decarbonization, climate resilience, and site remediation
• Airport master plans for small airports

Funding is not available for:

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

Through this cost-sharing program, aviation facility operators can leverage investments in infrastructure to meet the following BCAAP program objectives:

Safety

• Safety of flight
• Airside safety

Reliability

• State of good repair
• Airfield geometry
• All-weather operations
• Accessibility

Economic Development

• Community development
• Regional connectivity
• Tourism

Emergency Operations

• Medevac
• Wildfire

Environment

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction & baselining
• Climate resiliency
• Contaminated site remediation

BCAAP encourages collaborative funding partnerships with Indigenous, local, regional and federal government agencies, as well as private-sector and nonprofit organizations.

Successful applicants will refer to the following resource documents during project implementation:

Communications and Signage

• Communications Protocol (PDF, 321 KB)
• King's Printer Requisition (PDF, 104KB)

Progress Reporting Documents

• Progress Report (for facility master plans) (PDF, 1 MB)
• Progress Report (for infrastructure projects) (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Final Report Documents

• Summary of Expenditures (XLSX, 113KB)
• B.C. Air Access Program Final Report (PDF, 702KB)