Airport on Minnesota-Canada border closes for good
The right rear landing gear of a Eurowings aircraft. Photo: Christoph Reichwein/dpa (Photo by Christoph Reichwein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
ROSEAU, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport at the Canadian border is closing for good.
Airport near Roseau, Minnesota, closing
What we know: The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the rural municipality of Piney, Manitoba, Canada, are permanently closing the Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport, located northwest of Roseau, on Friday, Dec. 27, according to a press release.
The airport is operated under an international agreement between MnDOT and Piney, Canada. According to MnDOT, the airport had "very low use and faced large maintenance expenses" that included runway, apron and terminal reconstruction.
The international agreement required to operate the airport expired on Dec. 26 and was not renewed by either airport.
There are other airports that serve Northwestern Minnesota. They include:
- Warroad Memorial International Airport (RRT)
- Roseau Municipal Airport (ROX)
- Stephen Municipal Airport (D41)
- Warren Municipal Airport (D37)
Runway straddled US and Canada
The backstory: The airport's runway straddles the border of the United States and Canada. It was built in 1953 with a grass runway, which was paved in 1978, the Associated Press says.
The airport was one of six airports with runways straddling the border, but was the only one with a paved runway.
The airport was most often used by Americans traveling to Canada to hunt and fish.