Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (commonly 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 4,305,744 passengers in 2017, and the 11th busiest airport by aircraft movements. It is a hub for passenger airlines Calm Air, Perimeter Airlines, Flair Airlines, and cargo airline Cargojet. It is also a focus city for WestJet. 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. 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.
Winnipeg's relatively isolated geographical location in relation to other major population centres 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. Daily non-stop flights are operated from Winnipeg International Airport to destinations across Canada as well as to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean, along with summer seasonal flights to the United Kingdom. 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.
History
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) - Video Footage from the 2011 Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport volunteer trial run. Filmed by Andru Valpy (UMFM / Wake Up Winnipeg) *Note the spelling mistake: Title...
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. The City of Winnipeg and the Rural Municipality of St. James agreed to develop Stevenson Field as a modern municipal airport in 1936. In 1938 the Manitoba Legislative Assembly passed the St. James-Winnipeg Airport Commission Act creating a commission of the same name with full control over the operation of the airport. In 1940 during the Second World War the Government of Canada placed the airport under the direction of the Minister of Transport where it remained until 1997. In 1962 Stevenson Field was officially renamed Winnipeg International Airport and in 1997 the airport was transferred to the control of the Winnipeg Airports Authority.
The airport was briefly served by Scandinavian Airlines in the 1950s on the world's first regular Polar route, which linked Copenhagen and Los Angeles via Søndre Strømfjord and Winnipeg.
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.
Facilities
Main Terminal
Winnipeg's main airport terminal was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Stantec. The terminal's design was inspired by the City of Winnipeg's distinctive landscape and the province of Manitoba's vast prairies and sky. It was the first airport terminal in Canada to be LEED-certified for its environmentally friendly concept, design, construction and operation. 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. 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.
Air Canada operates a Maple Leaf Lounge located in the domestic/international departures area, and a "pay-in" lounge, operated by Plaza Premium Lounge, is also located in the domestic/international departures area. Free WiFi is provided by the Winnipeg Airports Authority throughout the entire main terminal building.
Perimeter Terminal
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 kilometres (1.6Â mi) south of the main terminal building.
Other facilities
A large Canada Post mail processing facility was opened at the airport site on June 4, 2010. The 23,225-square-metre (249,990 sq ft) facility is located east of the main terminal building, just north of Wellington Avenue.
Three hotels are located on site, adjacent to the main airport terminal.
Richardson International Airport is included in a new 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) dry port created by provincial legislation â€" CentrePort Canada Act, C.C.S.M. c. C44 â€" that will offer investment opportunities for distribution centres, warehousing and manufacturing. 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.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Ground transportation
Car
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.
Bus
Winnipeg Transit operates two bus routes that service the airport. The Winnipeg Bus Terminal is an intercity bus, international 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.
References
Citations
Bibliography
External links
Media related to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Winnipeg International Airport
- Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport from Nav Canada as available.
