AviatDataWhale Cove Airport YXN / CYXN
Whale Cove, Nunavut · Canada · Government of Nunavut (Department of Economic Development and Transportation)
Limited hoursJet A-1
ICAO / IATACYXN / YXN
OperatorGovernment of Nunavut (Department of Economic Development and Transportation)
Coordinates62.2400°N, 92.5981°W
Elevation40 ft · 12 m
Time zoneCT (UTC-6/-5 DST)
Passengers / yr—
CustomsNo
Border controlNo
SchengenNo
FuelJet A-1
Bonded—
AIP referenceCYXN — Canada Flight Supplement / NAV CANADA CFS
Operating hoursAvailable 24/7; Community Aerodrome Radio Station (CARS) staffed during published working hours providing airport advisory and weather services, with call-out service available outside those hours on request. No control tower. Mandatory Frequency/ATF 122.1 MHz. Supports day and night VFR/IFR operations; no curfew.
TerminalsNew air terminal building opened June 19, 2025 (part of a six-community GN/Transport Canada terminal renewal program) — approx. 3,500 sq ft, roughly three times the size of its predecessor, with updated layouts, improved accessibility, and backup power to keep the airfield operating during community power outages; no jet bridges or multiple gates.
Runways (1)
- 15/33 · 1,200 m / 3,937 ft · 30 m wide · Gravel
Airport contact
Whale Cove is a small Inuit hamlet (pop. ~450) in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, named for the beluga whales that gather in the bay; Calm Air provides the community's essential scheduled air link via ATR turboprop service to Rankin Inlet, with occasional charter traffic (e.g., Nolinor to the Meadowbank mine). Like most Kivalliq strips the gravel runway is the community's only year-round transportation link, critical for medevac, mail, and freight given the absence of road or rail access.
Services
Available
On request / PPR
Seasonal / ageing
Unconfirmed / not listed
Ground handling
Available
Calm Air International LP
Calm Air is the sole scheduled carrier serving Whale Cove, and the Government of Nunavut's official Whale Cove Airport contact list shows only a CARS office, an airport maintainer, and a fuel supplier, with no separate ground handling company, indicating Calm Air self-handles its own passenger ground handling at this station.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft fuel
On request
Issatik Co-operative Limited
The Government of Nunavut's official Whale Cove Airport page lists Issatik Co-operative Limited, the community's local Arctic Co-operatives Limited member co-op, as the designated Fuel Supplier contact for the airport, distinct from the CARS office and airport maintainer; the exact fuel grade sold at this site (e.g. Jet A-1 vs. avgas) is unconfirmed.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
De-icing
Not listed
Part-145 line maintenance
Not listed
Part-145 base maintenance
Not listed
Component shops & overhaul
Not listed
Flight catering
Not listed
Aircraft cleaning
Not listed
Ground support equipment
Not listed
Cargo handling
Available
Calm Air International LP
No separate freight or mail handling company is listed for Whale Cove Airport in the Government of Nunavut's official airport contacts; combined with Calm Air being the sole scheduled carrier here, this indicates Calm Air self-handles cargo (freight and mail) at this station.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Aviation security
Not listed
Passenger & crew transport
Not listed
Flight support
Not listed
Hotel & travel
Not listed