Ottawa / Rockcliffe Airport (YRO)

Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport holds the distinguished honor of being Canada's oldest active airport, officially recognized in August 2018 on the 100th anniversary of its first use as an airfield when the Royal Air Force began experimental mail flights in 1918. Located on the scenic south shore of the Ottawa River just 4 nautical miles northeast of downtown Ottawa, this historically significant facility originally served as the Rockcliffe Air Station and became one of six original airfields opened across Canada by the new Air Board in 1920. The airport's unique heritage includes hosting up to 16 Air Force squadrons simultaneously during its military heyday, more than any other air station in Canada, while pioneering the first Canadian experiments in aerial photography during summer 1920. Today, the facility operates under the ownership of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and management of the Rockcliffe Flying Club, maintaining both certified paved land aerodrome and water aerodrome capabilities with two IFR approaches serving the general aviation community. The airport's strategic location in the heart of Canada's capital makes it an ideal destination for corporate visitors, tourists, aviation students, and pilots from across the country seeking convenient access to Ottawa's government and business districts. One of the facility's remarkable historical features includes its unique capability to handle both land-based aircraft and floatplanes, with runways connected directly to the Ottawa River waterfront via dedicated roads, making it one of very few airports capable of seamless land-water aircraft transfers. The RCMP maintains operational facilities at the airport, continuing the site's long tradition of government aviation support that dates back to 1937 when the RCMP air division was first established.

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