Winnipeg International Airport
Encyclopedia
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, more commonly known as 'Winnipeg International Airport' is an international airport in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. It is the eighth busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic, serving just over 3.3 million passengers, and the 12th busiest airport by aircraft movements. It is a hub for Calm Air
, Cargojet
, Kivalliq Air
, Perimeter Airlines
and Purolator
as well as a focus city for Air Canada Jazz
and WestJet
.
An important transportation hub for the province of Manitoba
, Winnipeg International Airport is the only international airport within the province. It is a multi-modal facility and one of several airports in Canada that is fully operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The airport is operated by the Winnipeg Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada's National Airports System
and is one of eight Canadian airports that has US Border Pre-clearance facilities.
The City of Winnipeg
's unique and relatively isolated geographical location makes Winnipeg International Airport the primary international airport for a large area, and as such it is used as a gateway to a large area including the province of Manitoba
, parts of neighboring provinces and territories Saskatchewan
, Northwestern Ontario
and Nunavut
, as well as parts of North Dakota
and Minnesota
in the United States. Along with flights to major cities across Canada
, the USA, the Caribbean
, Mexico
and Iceland
, non-stop flights to numerous small remote communities in Northern Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario
and Nunavut
are served from the airport.
. In 1958, at the request of the Canadian Department of Transport, Stevenson Field was officially renamed the Winnipeg International Airport.
The former terminal building was built in 1964, and was designed by the architectural firm of Green Blankstein Russell and Associates (subsequently GBR Associates and Stantec Limited). It was expanded and renovated in 1984 by the architectural firm of IKOY, and a hotel was built opposite the terminal building in 1998. The old terminal building, which closed on Sunday October 30th, 2011 is an example of modernist International Style
architecture.
On 10 December 2006, the Minister of Transport
Lawrence Cannon announced Winnipeg International Airport was to be renamed Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in honour of the influential politician and aviation businessman from Winnipeg.
. The new terminal, is located northeast of the existing terminal, was constructed in two phases, and was opened on October 30, 2011. Construction on the new terminal began in the early spring of 2007. The Winnipeg Airports Authority hopes to attract better services using widebody aircraft such as the Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER, with service to Europe.
Along with the new terminal, a new access road was built and opened in October 2006, and a new four-level, 1,559 stall parkade has been opened as of November 2006. Due to changes in airport priorities, the Winnipeg Airports Authority has closed the third runway (07/25), which had a length of 4600 ft (1,402.1 m).
There are now plans for a new luxury airport hotel across from the new terminal as well as office building between the current hotel and new parkade. A new bus terminal opened at the airport complex on August 15, 2009. The new Canada Post plant will also be built at the airport site. There are also plans to develop more runways.
Winnipeg is also trying to become the inland port of Canada and will be using the airport as one of its gateways.
On April 14, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper with Premier Gary Doer announced at James Richardson that both the Federal and Provincial governments will contribute $212.5 million towards a divided four lane expressway to be called CentrePort Canada Way. It will link Inkster Blvd. to the Perimeter Highway on the north side of the CP Rail Glenboro subdivision parallel to Saskatchewan Ave. to attract new transportation logistics associated development to the City area west and Rosser Municipality northwest of the Airport.
runs bus routes 15 and 20 which serves the airport. A Greyhound bus terminal is also located at the airport. A taxi stand is located just outside the terminal building.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the eighth busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic, serving just over 3.3 million passengers, and the 12th busiest airport by aircraft movements. It is a hub for Calm Air
Calm Air
Calm Air International LP. is an airline based in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada and is presently owned by the Exchange Income Corporation. It operates services in northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. Charter and freight services are also undertaken. Its main base is Thompson Airport.-...
, Cargojet
Cargojet Airways
Cargojet Inc. is a scheduled cargo airline based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It operates cargo services in Canada and internationally, as well as full aircraft charters. Its main base is John C Munro Hamilton International Airport...
, Kivalliq Air
Kivalliq Air
Kivalliq Air is an airline based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It operates scheduled service six days per week between all communities in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut and Manitoba. Scheduled service is also offered 3 days per week between Sanikiluaq and Winnipeg...
, Perimeter Airlines
Perimeter Aviation
Perimeter Aviation LP is an airline based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Perimeter Aviation operates 35 aircraft on scheduled, charter, and medevac service. It also operates four aircraft on charter service. It was established and started operations in 1960...
and Purolator
Purolator Courier
Purolator Courier Ltd. is a Canadian courier that is 91% owned by Canada Post Corporation, 7% owned by Barry Lapointe Holdings Ltd. and 2% by others....
as well as a focus city for Air Canada Jazz
Air Canada Jazz
Jazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
and WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
.
An important transportation hub for the province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Winnipeg International Airport is the only international airport within the province. It is a multi-modal facility and one of several airports in Canada that is fully operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The airport is operated by the Winnipeg Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada's National Airports System
National Airports System (Canada)
Canada's National Airport System was defined in the National Airports Policy published in 1994. It was intended to include all airports with an annual traffic of 200,000 passengers or more, as well as airports serving the national, provincial and territorial capitals.Any airport sustaining an...
and is one of eight Canadian airports that has US Border Pre-clearance facilities.
The City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
's unique and relatively isolated geographical location makes Winnipeg International Airport the primary international airport for a large area, and as such it is used as a gateway to a large area including the province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, parts of neighboring provinces and territories Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Northwestern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
and Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, as well as parts of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States. Along with flights to major cities across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the USA, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, non-stop flights to numerous small remote communities in Northern Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
and Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
are served from the airport.
History
The airport opened in 1928 as Stevenson Aerodrome in honour of the noted Manitoba aviator and pioneer bush pilot, Captain Fred J. Stevenson. Stevenson Aerodrome (Stevenson Field) was Canada's first international airportAirport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
. In 1958, at the request of the Canadian Department of Transport, Stevenson Field was officially renamed the Winnipeg International Airport.
The former terminal building was built in 1964, and was designed by the architectural firm of Green Blankstein Russell and Associates (subsequently GBR Associates and Stantec Limited). It was expanded and renovated in 1984 by the architectural firm of IKOY, and a hotel was built opposite the terminal building in 1998. The old terminal building, which closed on Sunday October 30th, 2011 is an example of modernist International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
architecture.
On 10 December 2006, the Minister of Transport
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
Lawrence Cannon announced Winnipeg International Airport was to be renamed Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in honour of the influential politician and aviation businessman from Winnipeg.
Airport redevelopment
A major project involving the construction of a new terminal was completed in 2011. The terminal was designed by the world famous architect César PelliCésar Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
. The new terminal, is located northeast of the existing terminal, was constructed in two phases, and was opened on October 30, 2011. Construction on the new terminal began in the early spring of 2007. The Winnipeg Airports Authority hopes to attract better services using widebody aircraft such as the Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER, with service to Europe.
Along with the new terminal, a new access road was built and opened in October 2006, and a new four-level, 1,559 stall parkade has been opened as of November 2006. Due to changes in airport priorities, the Winnipeg Airports Authority has closed the third runway (07/25), which had a length of 4600 ft (1,402.1 m).
There are now plans for a new luxury airport hotel across from the new terminal as well as office building between the current hotel and new parkade. A new bus terminal opened at the airport complex on August 15, 2009. The new Canada Post plant will also be built at the airport site. There are also plans to develop more runways.
Winnipeg is also trying to become the inland port of Canada and will be using the airport as one of its gateways.
CentrePort Canada
Richardson International Airport is included in a new 20000 acres (80.9 km²) inland port area created by Provincial legislation - CentrePort Canada Act, C.C.S.M. c. C44 - that will offer greenfield investment opportunities for distribution centres, warehousing and manufacturing. CentrePort Canada will allow companies to take advantage of the leading cargo capabilities of Richardson International Airport, as well as:- an abundance of serviced land ready for investment and development
- Manitoba's strategic mid-continent location
- a well-established multi-modal network of highways, railways, air and sea connections
- direct road and rail access to Canada's western seaports, and
- convenient and economical access to key markets in North America
On April 14, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper with Premier Gary Doer announced at James Richardson that both the Federal and Provincial governments will contribute $212.5 million towards a divided four lane expressway to be called CentrePort Canada Way. It will link Inkster Blvd. to the Perimeter Highway on the north side of the CP Rail Glenboro subdivision parallel to Saskatchewan Ave. to attract new transportation logistics associated development to the City area west and Rosser Municipality northwest of the Airport.
Scheduled
Charter
Cargo
Ground transport
Winnipeg TransitWinnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is a bus-only operator.The Winnipeg Street Railway operated a horse car operation from 1882 to 1894...
runs bus routes 15 and 20 which serves the airport. A Greyhound bus terminal is also located at the airport. A taxi stand is located just outside the terminal building.
Incidents and accidents
- In 2006-2007, 16 flights were diverted to the airport due to emergencies en route.
- On July 23, 1983, Air CanadaAir CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
Flight 143, a Boeing 767Boeing 767The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
trying to reach Winnipeg as an alternate, was forced to make an emergency landing in Gimli, ManitobaGimli, ManitobaGimli is a a rural municipality located in the Interlake region of south-central Manitoba, Canada, on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. It is about north of the provincial capital Winnipeg...
after running out of fuel. No one was injured. This incident was the subject of the book, Freefall, by William Hoffer and the subsequent TV movie, Falling from the Sky: Flight 174Falling from the Sky: Flight 174Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 is a 1995 television movie based on the story of Air Canada Flight 143 Known as the "Gimli Glider". It follows the crew, their families and the passengers of the flight, set in 1983, from the preparations for departure to the crash landing in an abandoned airfield...
, starring William DevaneWilliam DevaneWilliam Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theater actor.-Life and career:Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1937 or 1939 , the son of Joseph Devane, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York...
. - On March 3, 2007, British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
Flight BA289, a Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
flying from London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
to Phoenix Sky Harbor International AirportPhoenix Sky Harbor International AirportPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
, made an unscheduled landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after a passenger became unruly when he was refused alcohol. The passenger was charged with mischief, causing a disturbance and failing to comply with instructions from the flight crew. The aircraft sat on the tarmac for two hours before resuming its trip to Phoenix. - On June 19, 2007, a Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
cargo plane en route from Wilmington, OhioWilmington, OhioWilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
to Anchorage, AlaskaAnchorage, AlaskaAnchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
made an emergency landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after reporting a fire inside the airplane. No one was injured. After cleanup, an unrelated engine problem forced the 747 to remain in Winnipeg, leaving a week later on three engines. - On August 1, 2007, British MidlandBritish midlandBritish midland may refer to:*British Midland Airways Limited, also referred to as bmi and formerly as British Midland*The English Midlands, the central region of Great Britain...
Flight BD752 flying from Las VegasMcCarran International AirportMcCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
to Manchester, England was diverted to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after a 19-year old male passenger failed to comply with crew instructions. The passenger was charged with mischief, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and failing to comply with the flight crew's instructions under the Air Navigation Order. The Airbus A330 flight resumed two hours after being diverted. - On April 18, 2008, a WestJetWestJetWestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
Boeing 737-700 aircraft en route from HamiltonHamilton, OntarioHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
to CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
carrying 106 people including crew had to make an emergency landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport because of a potential hydraulic issue. The airliner landed without incident and no one was injured as a result. - On February 9, 2009 the airport had to close for a few hours due to an ice storm, the first time since 1986 that the airport has shut down operations. Runways were "deiced" to permit limited use by the afternoon.
- On March 3, 2009, a Perimeter Airlines (Aviation) MetrolinerFairchild Swearingen MetrolinerThe Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
airliner flying back from St. Theresa Pointe with 10 people on board, "belly landed" due to problems with its landing gear. It landed safely, "gear up" and none of the passengers and crew on board were injured. - On September 17, 2009, Air Canada Flight 122, an Airbus 319 from Calgary to Toronto encountered a problem with its left engine. The A319 made an emergency landing at Winnipeg with 121 passengers and crew on board. None of the passengers and crew on board were injured.
- On October 9, 2009, United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
Flight 6648 from Denver landed and was taxiing when it skidded off into the grass due to blowing snow at the airport which caused poor visibility. All 35 passengers and crew were safe but the airport had to close one of two runways due to the incident. It took 18 hours to remove the airliner from the snow. In a separate incident the same evening, an Air Canada Jazz aircraft reported hitting a number of birds shortly after takeoff. The crew turned back to Winnipeg and landed safely. An initial investigation found minor damage on the Air Canada aircraft. - On October 25, 2010, a United Airlines Boeing 777 made a successful emergency landing in the afternoon after the pilots reported smoke in the cockpit. The flight was from Chicago en route to Shanghai. Everyone on board was fine.