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 James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

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 not only to all of Manitoba, but large parts of neighbouring provinces and territories (Saskatchewan, Nunavut, etc.). 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

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 with Northwest airways (which became Northwest Airlines) inaugurating a passenger and mail service between Winnipeg and Pembina, North Dakota on February 2, 1931. By 1935, Northwest Airlines was operating daily service from the airport with Hamilton H-47 prop aircraft on a routing of Winnipeg - Pembina, ND - Grand Forks, ND - Fargo, ND - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - Milwaukee, WI - Chicago, IL. 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 and the Royal Canadian Air Force where it remained until 1997.

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Post War

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 during the mid 1950s on the world's first regular Polar route, which linked Copenhagen and Los Angeles with Douglas DC-6B propliner flights via Søndre Strømfjord and Winnipeg. In 1962, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA, now Air Canada) was operating weekly nonstop service between Winnipeg and London Heathrow Airport with Douglas DC-8 jetliners.

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.

Two airlines operating jet aircraft in passenger service were previously based at the airport: Transair (Canada) and Greyhound Air. According to its March 18, 1974 timetable, Transair was operating Boeing 737-200 and Fokker F28 Fellowship jets on scheduled flights in Manitoba and also as far west as Yellowknife and as far east as Toronto from its Winnipeg hub in addition to operating charter services from the airport with Boeing 707 jetliners. The August 1, 1996 Greyhound Air timetable lists nonstop domestic flights operated with Boeing 727-200 jetliners from the airport to Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Kelowna, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver with Winnipeg serving as a connecting hub for the airline.

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 (1.6 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.

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

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 - CentrePort Canada Act, C.C.S.M. c. C44 - 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

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Airline check-in counters at Winnipeg International Airport

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Domestic/International departure gate area in the Main Terminal

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

USA departure gates in the Main Terminal

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Air Canada Embraer E190 at the gate

Cargo

Statistics

Annual traffic

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.

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Bus

Winnipeg Transit operates two bus routes that service the airport. A charging port has been added in October 2014 for Winnipeg transit's elecric bus program. 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.

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