It is located just within the southern boundary of the city, 2.8 nautical miles (5.2 km; 3.2 mi) southeast,[2] and is run by the Prince George Airport Authority.

In January 2015, Pacific Coastal Airlines set up shop at Prince George offering two non-stop flights a day to Victoria.

At this second, newer airport, US planes also flew in large numbers to Alaska prior to the United States declaring war on Japan.

This new staging route would provide protection, permit aircraft to be deployed rapidly to northwestern Canada and Alaska in time of emergency and allow men and supplies to be moved into the region by air.

In late 1940, Canada's Department of National Defence contracted to build a new (third) Prince George airport on a bench at the top of the hill about 3 mi (4.8 km) south-east of the city on the old Cariboo Highway, across from the Federal Government's Experimental Farm.

The Department of Transport built single family homes, an unmarried staff residence, a diesel electric power plant and vehicle maintenance garage.

In 1941, after the completion of runway 14/32 (now 15/33), US-based Pan Am operated from the Prince George Airport as a stopover location on its Seattle to Fairbanks route ferrying men and equipment for the US Navy.

The aerodrome was listed as "Under construction - Field Serviceable" with three runways as follows: [8] During the war years, the RCAF ran the airport with close assistance from the Department of Transport and the USAAF.

CP Air operated jet service into the airport during the 1970s primarily with the Boeing 737-200 jet liner with non-stop flights to Vancouver, Fort St. John and Whitehorse as well as direct, no change of plane service to Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.

[10] CP Air also operated non-stop Boeing 727-100 jet service to Vancouver as well as direct to Edmonton via a stop in Grande Prairie during the mid 1970s.

[citation needed] Pacific Western Airlines also served Prince George at this time with Boeing 737-200 jet service to Vancouver, Edmonton, Kamloops and Dawson Creek, and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprop and Douglas DC-3 flights to Kelowna, Penticton, Prince Rupert, Smithers, Terrace, Quesnel and Williams Lake.

[11] CP Air and Pacific Western would continue to compete with non-stop service to Vancouver into the 1980s with both airlines flying Boeing 737-200 on the route.

Prince George Airport underwent a significant expansion and revitalization from 2003 to 2005 that included the development of more check-in counters, larger pre-board screening and holding areas, new baggage carousels, and a border control facility for processing international flights.

[14][15] On December 19, 2009, a fire destroyed the Northern Thunderbird Air terminal with no loss of life[16] The airline has stated that operations would continue as normal despite the setback.