The Aire and Calder Navigation is a canalised river system in West Yorkshire, England, running approximately 34 miles (55 km) from Leeds to Goole, where it joins the River Ouse. The navigation encompasses the canalised sections of both the River Aire and River Calder, with the Wakefield Branch following the Calder from Castleford Junction to Wakefield. The main line passes through key settlements including Castleford, Knottingley, and Ferrybridge. The system contains 11 locks on the main line, with notable engineering works including Lemonroyd Lock near Leeds, described as one of the largest on the British canal network, as well as Knostrop Fall Lock and Bulholme Lock.

The navigation remains an active commercial waterway, carrying over 2 million tonnes of freight annually, primarily oil, sand, and gravel. This is the most significant safety consideration for paddlers: commercial vessels still operate on the waterway and can produce significant wash. Paddlers should give way to these vessels and keep to the right in accordance with the waterway code. The section from Ferrybridge to Goole is a constructed waterway rather than a river navigation, and the scale of the infrastructure throughout reflects its commercial heritage.

A licence is required to paddle on the Aire and Calder Navigation. The licensing authority is the Canal and River Trust, and a Paddle UK membership (British Canoeing) includes a waterways licence covering this and other managed waterways in England and Wales.

The navigation connects with several other waterways, making it part of a broader network. These include the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Wakefield, the Selby Canal at Haddlesey, and the New Junction Canal at Southfield Junction. The waterway passes through areas of strong industrial heritage, including the redeveloped Clarence Dock in Leeds, which provides a notable landmark at the western end of the route. The River Aire, which feeds into the navigation above Leeds, has seen improving water quality in recent years, with fish including salmon reported returning to the system upstream.