Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport to close permanently after 70 years of service

The Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport, which straddles the Canada-U.S. border, will permanently close on December 27 after 70 years of operation. The Minnesota Department of Transportation cited low usage and high maintenance needs as reasons for the closure. Opened in 1953, the airport was designed to facilitate cross-border travel. A runway expansion in the 1970s made it one of the few airports that crossed the border. The international agreement allowing the airport to operate will expire on December 26 and will not be renewed.