Castlegar/West Kootenay Regional Airport — Castlegar, Canada

Castlegar, home to the West Kootenay Regional Airport under the code YCG, serves the mountainous West Kootenay region of British Columbia near the confluence of the Columbia and Kootenay rivers. The airport is notorious among pilots for its challenging approach, threading between steep valley walls that demand precise handling, particularly in poor weather. Despite the terrain, YCG maintains scheduled commercial flights connecting Castlegar to Calgary and other hubs, serving nearby communities including Nelson and Trail. The region's mining and forestry heritage, along with growing tourism around Kootenay Lake and nearby ski resorts, sustains steady passenger demand. YCG's dramatic mountain setting makes it one of Canada's more visually striking regional airports.