Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
Arrivals hall at Winnipeg International Airport
IATA: YWG – ICAO: CYWG – WMO: 71852
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Transport Canada[1]
Operator	Winnipeg Airports Authority (DND)
Serves	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Hub for	Calm Air Cargojet Perimeter Aviation
Time zone	CST (UTC−06:00)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC−05:00)
Elevation AMSL	783 ft / 239 m
Coordinates	49°54′36″N 097°14′24″W / 49.91000°N 97.24000°W / 49.91000; -97.24000Coordinates: 49°54′36″N 097°14′24″W / 49.91000°N 97.24000°W / 49.91000; -97.24000
Website	www.waa.ca
Map
CYWG Location in Manitoba
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 13/31 8,701 2,652 Asphalt 18/36 11,000 3,353 Asphalt
Statistics (2013/2014)
Aircraft movements (2013) 125,266 Number of Passengers (2014) 3,669,797
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[2] Environment Canada[3] Movements from Statistics Canada[4] Passenger statistics from Winnipeg Airports Authority[5]

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (also known as Winnipeg International Airport or simply Winnipeg Airport) (IATA: YWG, ICAO: CYWG) is an international airport located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the seventh busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic, serving 3.7 million passengers in 2014,^[5] and the 11th busiest airport by aircraft movements.^[4] It is a hub for passenger airlines Calm Air and Perimeter Airlines, and cargo airline Cargojet. The airport is co-located with Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg.

An important transportation hub for the province of Manitoba, Winnipeg International Airport is the only commercial international airport within the province as the other airports of entry serve domestic flights and general aviation only.^[2] The airport is operated by the Winnipeg Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada's National Airports System^[6] and is one of eight Canadian airports that has US Border Pre-clearance facilities.

Winnipeg's relatively isolated geographical location in relation to other major population centres^[7] makes Winnipeg International Airport the primary airport for a very large area. As such, it is used as a gateway to the entire Province of Manitoba and large parts of neighbouring Provinces and Territories.^[8] Daily non-stop flights are operated from Winnipeg International Airport to destinations across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. In addition, regularly scheduled flights to numerous small remote communities in the northern regions of Canada, specifically Northern Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut, are also served from the airport.^[9]

History[edit]

Airline check-in counters at Winnipeg International Airport

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, also known as Stevenson Field, was Canada's first international airport. In 1958, at the request of the Canadian Department of Transport, Stevenson Field was officially renamed Winnipeg International Airport.

The original main 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 across from the terminal in 1998. The original main terminal building was closed on Sunday October 30, 2011 and has since been demolished.

On December 10, 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 businessman and pioneer of Canadian commercial aviation from Winnipeg.^[10]

Terminals[edit]

Domestic/International departure gate area in the Main Terminal

USA departure gates in the Main Terminal

Main Terminal[edit]

Winnipeg's main airport terminal was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Stantec.^[11] The terminal's design was inspired by the City of Winnipeg's distinctive landscape and the province of Manitoba's vast prairies and sky.^[12] It is the first airport terminal in Canada to be LEED-certified for its environmentally friendly concept, design, construction and operation.^[13] The terminal was constructed in two phases, with construction beginning in 2007 and ending on October 30, 2011 when it was officially opened to the public.^[14][15] Prior to the opening of the current main terminal building, a multi-level access road and four-level, 1,559 stall parkade were both opened in November 2006. All airlines serving Winnipeg International Airport operate at the main terminal building, with the exception of Perimeter Aviation.

Free WiFi is provided by the Winnipeg Airports Authority throughout the entire main terminal building. Air Canada operates a Maple Leaf Lounge located in the domestic/international departures area.

Perimeter Terminal[edit]

Perimeter Aviation is a regional airline that operates its own small, exclusive terminal building at Winnipeg International Airport to facilitate its passenger, cargo and charter services. Perimeter Aviation does not use the main terminal building due to its varied operations to small remote communities throughout Northern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario using small propeller aircraft, with which regular airport terminal services (jet bridge, catering, etc.) are unnecessary and can actually be a hindrance to day-to-day operations.

The Perimeter Aviation terminal building is located 2.6 km south of the main terminal building.

Airlines and destinations[edit]

Passenger airlines and destinations[edit]

Air Canada Airbus A319 on the tarmac

First Air Boeing 737-200C taxiing

Perimeter Aviation Bombardier Dash 8-100 taxiing

Bearskin Airlines Saab 340 preparing for departure

Cargo[edit]

Ground transportation[edit]

Winnipeg International Airport is located at 2000 Wellington Avenue in the City of Winnipeg. Several short and long term parkades are located on site, as well as a curb-side valet parking service. All major car rental agencies can be found on the arrivals level inside the parkade located across from the main terminal.

Public Transit[edit]

Winnipeg Transit operates two bus routes that service the airport. Route 15 (Sergeant/Mountain) and route 20 (Academy/Watt) operate daily from 5:50 am to 12:49 am.^[16] The Winnipeg Transit bus stop is located on the arrivals level at the south end of the main airport terminal.

Intercity Buses and Shuttles[edit]

The Winnipeg Bus Terminal is an intercity bus and cargo terminal for Greyhound and other intercity bus lines. It is located beside the main terminal building.
The Brandon Air Shuttle provides shuttle transportation between Winnipeg International Airport and Manitoba's second largest city, Brandon. It is located on the arrivals level of the main terminal building.

Taxi[edit]

A taxi and limousine stand is located just outside the main terminal building on the arrivals level. Metered taxis as well as flat-rate sedans, limousines, and other vehicles are available.

Other Facilities[edit]

Domestic/International departure gates at Winnipeg airport terminal

A large Canada Post mail processing facility was opened at the airport site on June 4, 2010.^[17] The 23,225 square meter facility is located east of the main terminal building, just north of Wellington Avenue.

Two hotels as well as an office/business complex are located on site, adjacent to the main airport terminal.

CentrePort Canada[edit]

Richardson International Airport is included in a new 20,000-acre (81 km²) inland port area created by provincial legislation – CentrePort Canada Act, C.C.S.M. c. C44 – that will offer investment opportunities for distribution centres, warehousing and manufacturing.^[18] CentrePort Canada will allow companies to take advantage of the cargo capabilities of Richardson International Airport, as well as serviced land, a mid-continent location and highway and rail transport.

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 called CentrePort Canada Way. It is now complete, and links Inkster Boulevard to the Perimeter Highway on the north side of the CP Rail Glenboro subdivision parallel to Saskatchewan Avenue to attract new transportation logistics associated development to the city area west and Rosser Municipality northwest of the airport.

Incidents and accidents[edit]

Air Canada Embraer E190 at the gate

• On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 (now known as the Gimli Glider), a Boeing 767 trying to reach Winnipeg, as an alternate was forced to make an emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba 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 174, starring William Devane.
• On March 3, 2007, British Airways Flight BA289, a Boeing 747 flying from London Heathrow Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 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.^[19]
• On June 19, 2007, a Northwest Airlines Boeing 747 cargo plane en route from Wilmington, Ohio to Anchorage, Alaska 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.^[20]
• On October 9, 2009, United Airlines 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.^[21]
• 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.^[22]

• On May 9, 2013, a Boeing 777-300ER, Cathay Pacific Flight 806 from Hong Kong to Chicago, made an emergency landing at Winnipeg due to a possible cargo hold fire. The plane landed safely, and ultimately no fire was found on board.^[23]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

• Winnipeg International Airport
• Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport from Nav Canada as available.

Airports in Canada By name A–B C–D E–G H–K L–M N–Q R–S T–Z By location indicator CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CI CJ CK CL CM CN CO CP CR CS CT CV CW CY CZ By province/territory AB BC MB NB NL NS NT NU ON PE QC SK YT By region Okanagan National Airports System Calgary Charlottetown Edmonton Fredericton Gander Halifax Iqaluit Kelowna London Moncton Montréal-Mirabel Montréal-Trudeau Ottawa Prince George Québec Regina Saint John St. John's Saskatoon Thunder Bay Toronto Vancouver Victoria Whitehorse Winnipeg Yellowknife Related List of airports by ICAO code: C List of the busiest airports in Canada List of defunct airports in Canada List of heliports in Canada List of international airports in Canada Operation Yellow Ribbon Category Portal WikiProject