First Nations leaders seek an airport safety audit and long-term funding for 27 remote northern airports serving First Nations
NAN and Chiefs of Ontario say 27 provincially operated airports serving First Nations need a phased infrastructure plan and clear accountability
THUNDER BAY — Aviation – First Nations leaders are pressing Ontario and Ottawa for an immediate safety audit and a long-term capital plan for remote northern airports that carry patients, food, fuel and emergency crews to communities without year-round roads.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Chiefs of Ontario renewed the call with the release of Holding Pattern, a documentary examining the consequences of unreliable air access. Of Ontario’s 29 provincially owned and operated remote northern airports, 27 directly serve First Nations.
A 2025 needs assessment prepared through NAN and the Northern Ontario Aviation Council estimates that closing infrastructure gaps at the 29 airports would cost between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion. The work identified includes runway extensions and recertification, navigation aids, lighting, weather systems, terminal facilities, staffing and training.
The assessment says 31 First Nations in Treaty No. 9 and the Ontario portion of Treaty No. 5 depend on those airports for year-round transportation. It warns that current infrastructure does not meet regional service needs as aviation rules and aircraft requirements evolve.
NAN and Chiefs of Ontario are asking the two governments to establish immediate and multi-year funding, build a phased improvement plan with First Nations, audit the 27 airports serving First Nations, create a multilateral implementation table, and invest in local aviation employment and certification.
Their campaign also seeks an Essential Service Airport Standard in federal policy. The organizations say the standard should reflect the role remote airports play in medical evacuation, emergency response and essential supply chains rather than treating them as ordinary low-volume transportation facilities.
The funding estimate and accounts of service failures come from the First Nations organizations and their needs assessment. Neither government had announced the requested audit or a new capital envelope in the material reviewed by NetNewsLedger before 7:20 a.m. EST Tuesday.
Ontario has previously acknowledged the importance of the network and has sought federal participation in northern airport improvements. The unresolved issue is whether the two governments will agree on responsibilities, service standards, priorities and a public timetable proportionate to the needs identified by the communities.
