Iqaluit Airport
Iqaluit Airport ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᒥᑦᑕᕐᕕᒃ | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Owner | Government of Nunavut[1] | ||||||||||
Operator | Nunavut Airport Services Ltd. | ||||||||||
Location | Iqaluit, Nunavut | ||||||||||
Hub for | |||||||||||
AMSL | 110 ft / 34 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 63°45′24″N 068°33′22″W / 63.75667°N 68.55611°W | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2011/2010) | |||||||||||
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Sources: |
Iqaluit Airport (
The airport is classified as an
The airport serves as a diversion airport on polar routes.[6][7]
The airport is owned by the Government of Nunavut (GN)[1] and operated, under a 30-year contract, by Nunavut Airport Services. The company is a subsidiary of Winnipeg Airport Services Corporation, which in turn is a subsidiary of Winnipeg Airports Authority.[8]
History
Military use
During late July 1941, a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) team headed by Captain Elliott Roosevelt investigated the Frobisher Bay region for a potential airport for use in trans-Atlantic air traffic. Roosevelt's report designated a marginal site at Cape Rammelsberg for later construction. In mid-October, trawlers Lark, Polarbjoern, and Selis reached the vicinity, but owing to inaccurate charts (dating from the 1865 expedition of Charles Francis Hall) could not find the Roosevelt site. Instead, an eight-man crew commanded by USAAF Captain John T. Crowell was offloaded on a smaller island "about eight miles southeast of the headland Captain Roosevelt had recommended."[9] They operated a weather/radio station over the winter. The expedition reported that "this island is reported to be some 400 feet high and very level on top providing a natural runway of more than a mile in length." The ships left on 5 November.[10]
When the station relief and base construction expedition arrived next July, both the Crowell and Roosevelt sites were rejected in favour of a level meadow discovered along the Sylvia Grinnell River on mainland
World War II
By summer of 1943, the airbase at Koojesse Inlet had "grown to look like a populous village" and was in use by many aircraft.
As part of the
The air base initially had 2 runways, first was 6,000 feet (1,800 m) paved and the second was 5,000 feet (1,500 m) gravel.[17] The shorter of the two was used briefly and decommissioned by 1944 for use as storage.[18] Today the former runway is a commercial area along Akilliq roadway.
The use of Frobisher Bay declined with the end of World War II, with jurisdiction of the facility being transferred to
Civilian use
Since the 1950s, Frobisher Bay had earned a reputation[
With the introduction of the intercontinental Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, fewer airlines stopped at Iqaluit. The place remained prominent as a regional airport, continued in its strategic role of sustaining the Distant Early Warning Line (DEW), supported the occasional military exercise or scientific expedition, and was a key stopover on the North Atlantic ferry route.
Through the 1960s, Nordair was the main airline serving Frobisher Bay from Montreal, 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) to the south. Douglas DC-4s operated into the 1970s and Lockheed Super Constellations between 1964 and 1969. In 1968, Nordair introduced the Boeing 737-200 on the Frobisher Bay run. At the same time, Bradley Air Services had been expanding. By the 1970s, the company's fleet of de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters and Douglas DC-3s was serving many small Arctic communities from YFB, carrying passengers, mail, groceries, and other essentials. Bradley became known as First Air in 1973 and soon added BAe 748s.
In the 1980s, Canada's airline industry was in transition, with Air Canada and Canadian Airlines rapidly buying up regional operators. Air Canada acquired Nordair in 1977, and then sold it in 1984 to Canadian Airlines. Jet service to Iqaluit Airport continued, but under the Canadian North banner, which was, after the buyout of Canadian Airlines by Air Canada, to continue operations as an independent airline, jointly owned by the Inuit of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Between 1985 and 1988, First Air added four Boeing 727s to link Montreal and Ottawa with Iqaluit. Meanwhile, Canadian Airlines failed, and was taken over by Air Canada in 2000. In 1995, First Air purchased the small Yellowknife-based carrier, Ptarmigan Airways; then, in 1997, Northwest Territorial Airways (NWT Air), Air Canada's Yellowknife subsidiary. In acquiring NWT, First Air obtained two 737-200 Combis and a Lockheed 382 Hercules.[19]
Facilities
- 2 hangar/cargo terminals (Canadian North) - hangar was terminal building until 1986[20]
- 1 two-storey terminal building c. 1986[20]
- 1 main runway
- three aprons
- 1 FBO (Frobisher Bay Touchdown Services)
- administration and control tower (former terminal)
Iqaluit International Airport Fire Department operates one crash tender for local fire suppression and has support from Iqaluit Fire Department when needed.
Terminal
The main terminal was constructed c.1986 and had become outdated as a result of increased traffic, limited post-security waiting area[21] and subsiding taxiway,[22] the Nunavut government planned an overhaul of the airport that was expected to cost $250–300 million. The project was a public–private partnership with the GN borrowing their half of the cost. Nunavut Airport Services will operate the airport for 30 years. Upgrades included:
- new 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) terminal building constructed by Bouygues[23]
- retrofitting the current terminal which will become solely an administration building and control tower
- expanding parking lots
- new combined services building to house all airport and safety vehicles
- a second taxiway
- apron and repaving the runway.
The construction began in 2014 and was completed on August 8, 2017, with flight service beginning the following day.[24][25][26] On September 5, 2015, during construction, a large fire caused major damage to the roof of the new terminal, costing an estimated $1 million.[27] Aside from the fire, other challenges encountered in the construction include thawing permafrost, electricity demands, housing for construction workers, extreme cold temperatures and short daylight hours in winter, and advanced planning to take advantage of summer sea lifts to lower the delivery cost of construction materials.[21]
Other information
Over the years several international flights have been diverted to Iqaluit due to technical reasons,[28] air rage[29] or on-board medical emergencies with no deaths being reported.[30] On 31 May 1996, Virgin Atlantic flight 7 from London to Los Angeles made an emergency landing at Iqaluit after a passenger had a heart attack. The landing was executed safely - the first Boeing 747 ever to attempt to land at Iqaluit - but one of the 747's engines hit a fuel pump on the ramp as it was taxiing, causing serious damage to the aircraft and a potentially dangerous fuel spill. The 397 stranded passengers, including singer Gary Barlow, were flown out after Virgin Atlantic chartered two jets. The passengers, after spending 16 hours in a local curling rink, were taken to New York to catch connecting flights to Los Angeles. Prince Michael of Kent, who had also been on the flight, was given a Royal Canadian Mounted Police escort and departed on an earlier scheduled flight. The original aircraft had its engines repaired and left four days after the accident. The heart-attack victim survived.[31]
The
In December 2005 the Government of Nunavut announced that it would spend $40 million to repair the runway, build a new emergency services facility and a new terminal.[36]
In January 2012
Iqaluit International Airport won a National Award for Engineering Project or Achievement in 2018 from Engineers Canada.[43]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Greenland | Seasonal: Nuuk (resumes June 26, 2024)[42] |
Canadian North | Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Igloolik, Kimmirut, Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Kuujjuaq,[44] Montréal–Trudeau,[44] Ottawa, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq, Rankin Inlet, Resolute Bay, Sanirajak (Hall Beach), Yellowknife[45] |
Montréal/Saint-Hubert
| |
Panorama Aviation | Charter: Sanikiluaq[46] |
Air Canada had operated services to Ottawa and Montreal from March 2010 to August 1, 2011.[47]
Air Baffin began as chartered service in 1989, as a schedule airline in 1992 and renamed as Air Nunavut in 1996.
Air Greenland had operated a service to Nuuk, Greenland in 2012, 2013 and 2014.[48]
Cargo
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Canadian North | Ottawa |
Cargojet Airways | Hamilton, Ottawa, Rankin Inlet, Winnipeg[49] |
Purolator Courier operated by Cargojet Airways | Calgary |
Accidents and incidents
- On 12 February 1973, Kenting Atlas Aviation crashed on approach. The aircraft was on a ferry flight to Resolute Bay Airport when power was lost shortly after take-off from Iqaluit and the decision was made to return. All three people on board survived.[50]
- On 14 August 1996, a CF-18 Hornet left the runway during takeoff, slid down an embankment and ruptured a fuel pipeline. The aircraft caught fire, as did fuel spilling from the pipeline, however the pilot had ejected just as the plane left the runway and only suffered a broken ankle. The pipeline was shut down and the fire brought under control in less than an hour.[51]
References
- ^ a b "Airport Divestiture Status Report". www.tc.gc.ca. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
- ^ Synoptic/Metstat Station Information Archived 2013-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV Canada Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report (TP 577): Table 2-2 — Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV Canada flight service stations". www.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Iqaluit International Airport Improvement Project" (PDF). Government of Nunavut, Department of Economic Development & Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2014.
- ^ "Figure 3. Boeing-Conducted Airport Safety And Operational Assessments". www.boeing.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Figure 1. New Cross-Polar Routes Via The North Polar Region". www.boeing.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Winnipeg Airport Services Corporation Archived 2016-12-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Forbes, 59–65
- ^ Hubbard Report
- ^ Forbes, 71
- ^ Forbes, 116
- ^ "USAFHRA Document 00076387". airforcehistoryindex.org. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "USAFHRA Document 00180777". airforcehistoryindex.org. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Hansen, 199–200, 211–215
- ^ "AFHRA Document 00076350". airforcehistoryindex.org. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Air Traffic Control - Frobisher Bay, NWT".
- ^ "Air Traffic Control - Frobisher Bay, NWT".
- ^ Airways (June 2006) Pages 24-28 YFB and First Air
- ^ a b Windeyer, Chris. "The new Iqaluit airport". chriswindeyer.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Kloepfer, Catherine (2017). "An airport public–private partnership in the Canadian Arctic". Journal of Airport Management. 11 (2): 136–146. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
- .
- ^ 2015 Registration Document Archived 2016-06-04 at the Wayback Machine page 36
- ^ "Iqaluit airport to be overhauled by 2017". CBC. 2012-07-06. Archived from the original on 2012-07-07.
- ^ "New public-private Iqaluit airport to cost up to $300 million". Nunatsiaq News. 2012-07-06. Archived from the original on 2014-12-16.
- ^ "New Iqaluit International Airport terminal opening". NationTalk. 2017-08-08. Archived from the original on 2017-10-29.
- ^ "Iqaluit airport terminal fire damage estimated at $1M". CBC. 2015-09-10. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11.
- ^ "Flight from Zurich to L.A. diverts to Iqaluit after engine shuts down". ctvnews.ca. 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Accused passenger from diverted Aeroflot flight tries to plead guilty - CBC News". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Moscow to L.A. flight makes emergency landing in Iqaluit". CBC. 2015-10-05. Archived from the original on 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ^ "Unexpected Arctic stop for Brits, Yanks". nunatsiaq.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Jumbo Airbus getting cold, and more, during Iqaluit tests". CBC. 2006-02-10. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
- ^ Airbus Military A400M undergoes latest cold weather tests Archived 2013-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Airbus's new A350 in Iqaluit for cold weather testing". CBC News. 2014-01-27. Archived from the original on 2014-01-31.
- ^ "Airbus cold-weather tests its A320neo in Iqaluit". CBC News. 2016-01-28. Archived from the original on 2017-02-05.
- ^ "Nunatsiaq News". nunatsiaq.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Air Greenland teams with First Air for Iqaluit flights". 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Air Greenland opens summer-route to Canada". Air Greenland. 18 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013.
- ^ "Nunatsiaq News 2012-05-28: NEWS: Iqaluit-Nuuk service ready for June 15 take-off". www.nunatsiaqonline.ca. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Nunatsiaq News 2012-01-18: NEWS: Tireless lobbying led to Iqaluit-Greenland air link revival". www.nunatsiaqonline.ca. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Air Greenland cuts Nuuk-Iqaluit scheduled flights in 2015". CBC News. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 15 November 2015.
- ^ a b Quinn, Eilís (2023-10-18). "Air Greenland to restart Nuuk—Iqaluit link in summer 2024". Radio Canada International. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Past Recipients". Engineers Canada. 2018.
- ^ a b "Canadian North Resumes Iqaluit – Kuujjuaq Service mid-April 2022". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ "Flight Schedule". Canadian North. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ McKay, Jackie (2022-02-07). "Iqaluit to Sanikiluaq flight extended to collect more data on viability". CBC News.
- ^ "Nunatsiaq News 2011-07-05: NEWS: Iqaluit flyers say they'll miss Air Canada". www.nunatsiaqonline.ca. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Air Greenland cuts Nuuk-Iqaluit scheduled flights in 2015". CBC News North. March 6, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ "Cargojet Network". Cargojet. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ "CF-OOV Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
- ^ Pilot ejects in nick of time as CF-18 crashes while attempting to take off. Archived 2007-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Iqaluit Airport from Nav Canada as available.