The Sandspit airport may lose its refuelling service for planes and helicopters after Dec. 31, raising concerns about the impact on local air traffic, particularly medevacs.
After years of declining fuel sales and a money-losing drought at the height of COVID-19, Westhawk Aviation, the current jet fuel provider, has no plans to renew its airport lease after December.
Westhawk’s owner, Rick Wampler, who has operated in Sandspit for 14 years, began talking with potential buyers in August 2023.
But as of last week, nothing had been confirmed. Wampler already extended his lease once to keep the fuel service going but says he can’t afford to do that again.
If nothing is agreed by early December, he said it will be too late to avoid a service interruption.
“December is a write-off,” he said. “Nobody wants to talk to you. You don’t get a lawyer or accountant in December.”
While most Air Canada flights are expected to continue landing in Sandspit — a few more may be delayed by bad weather without local fuel — Wampler said medevac flights may be unable to land if the pilots can’t count on refuelling.
“It’s a big mess,” he said. “I don’t think it’s up to Rick Wampler to finance the airport or the medevacs to keep that place operational.”
Transport Canada, which owns and operates the airport, said in an emailed statement that it understands Westhawk is negotiating with potential new fuel providers at K’il Kun Xidgwangs Daanaay (The airport’s new X̱aayda Kil name translates to “Sandspit flying place”).
“While Transport Canada is not directly involved in these negotiations, we are monitoring the situation closely,” said the agency.
Evan Putterill is the elected director for North Coast Regional District (NCRD) Area E, which includes Sandspit.
Putterill said the NCRD has urged Transport Canada to waive the requirement for Westhawk to remove its fuel tanks when its lease ends, and advocated a flexible approach to keep the airport running.
“A prolonged period without fuel is going to impact the airport,” Putterill said, adding that Sandspit is the only Haida Gwaii airport equipped for instrument landings.
Putterill suggested the federal government look at having DFO and others refuel more often in Sandspit. As Canada’s westernmost airport, he said it is critical for search and rescue, spill monitoring, and national defence.
Wampler founded Westhawk in 1990, and invested heavily in the Sandspit operation.
He recently had a second tri-axle refuelling trailer built for $660,000. He runs a small fleet of trucks to haul jet fuel directly to Sandspit from Edmonton to keep costs low.
“I’ve got a lot of pride in what I’ve done there,” Wampler said, noting that he is Haida, from Skidegate.
But fuel sales in Sandspit have been drying up for years. Wampler spoke to the Haida Gwaii News while driving the new refueller down to Vancouver for sale.
Many fishing lodges, once the backbone of the business, have closed. DFO also started flying a larger Dash 8 surveillance plane that doesn’t need to refuel after flying out from Vancouver. In the past, a smaller DFO plane refuelled in Sandspit every day or two.
“It’s the winters that kill you,” Wampler said. “There’s no business, and the bills never stop.”
Capping it all off, Wampler said insurance costs shot up across the aviation industry after two fatal Boeing 737 Max 8 accidents. And earlier this year, Transport Canada upped its own insurance requirements.
At 70, Wampler said he’s finally had enough, and hopes a younger person will come and take up the battle to stay open.
As the December deadline approaches, Wampler hopes a Haida-led organization might take over.
“That made sense to me,” he said. “The Rick Wamplers of the world come and go, and whoever else comes and goes, but the Haida Nation changes players.”