Wardair

Infobox Airline | airline=Wardair| logo=Wardair logo.pnglogo_size=200px
IATA=WD
ICAO=WDA
callsign=Wardair
parent=
founded=1953
headquarters=Edmonton, Alberta
key_people=Max Ward
hubs=Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Europe, the USA, Caribbean and South America
focus_cities=
frequent_flyer=
lounge=none
alliance=none
fleet_size=30+
destinations=26
website= N/A

Wardair Canada was one of Canada's few privately run pre-deregulation airlines, founded by Max Ward in 1953 under the name Wardair Ltd. The airline formally changed its name to "Wardair Canada" in 1976 after using the name informally since 1962.

History

Wardair provided domestic service in Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, as well as international service in Europe, the USA, and several Caribbean and South American countries. On March 31, 1989, the Canadian Transportation Agency approved the sale of Wardair to Canadian Airlines International.

Wardair had its roots in the air charter business in Yukon and the Northwest Territories. From a small start with small biplanes as passenger and cargo charter company, the airline expanded into the more populous regions of Canada and turned into a holiday charter airline, from 1962 onwards. Wardair was not a discount airline but an airline providing good service at lower-than-average prices. They were known for their high quality meals and friendly staff. "Steak & Champagne" flights was a popular advertising tag line in the 1980s, and won various awards from magazines for their service (Holiday Which? magazine charter airline of the year 1985, and scheduled carrier of the years 1986 and 1987).

The operations from the early 1950s were small bush-type runs based on Edmonton Alta. and Yellowknife NWT. Wardair's first large aircraft was a leased DC-6B in summer 1962, which started the airline's emphasis on charter flights, to Europe in the summer and to Mexico, California etc in the winter. The first jet was a Boeing 727 (Canada's first Boeing) in 1966, the first Boeing 707 (allowing non-stop flights to Europe) in 1968, and the first Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet in 1973. Although initially centred on Edmonton the long-haul flights moved to concentrate on Vancouver and Toronto as their main origins, also serving other major Canadian cities. Hawaii became a significant winter destination, and London Gatwick a major summertime one.

The 1970 mainline fleet was two 707s and one 727, while by 1980 it was 4 747s and 2 DC-10s. Wardair was a small, steady-growing company. In 1987, from a fleet of 7 jets, Wardair made a major expansion, ordering 36 aircraft, 12 A310, 12 MD80 and 12 Fokker F100 - an exponential expansion of operations that would ultimately prove non-sustainable.

Only the first 10 A310s had been delivered -- the remaining A310, MD88 and Fokker 100 deliveries were cancelled after the takeover.

The airline changed from charter to scheduled service in 1986. Rapid expansion, problems with their computer booking system, and failure to attract business customers, who had developed customer loyalty to frequent flier programmes on competing airlines, led the airline into financial difficulties, resulting in the sale to Canadian Airlines in 1989.

Destinations

* Abbotsford International Airport
* Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
* Calgary International Airport
* Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff International Airport
* Coppermine River, Nunavut (formerly in the Northwest Territories) - Coppermine Airport
* Düsseldorf International Airport
* Edmonton International Airport
* Elmdon Aerodrome/Birmingham International Airport
* Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
* Frankfurt International Airport
* Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
* Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport
* Honolulu, Hawaii - Honolulu International Airport/Hickam Air Force Base
* Leeds Bradford International Airport
* London - Gatwick International Airport
* Los Angeles International Airport
* Miami International Airport
* Montreal, Quebec - Dorval International Airport
* Newcastle, England - Woolsington-Newcastle Airport
* Seattle, WA - Renton Municipal Airport
* Manchester, UK - Ringway Airport
* San Diego International Airport
* Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Saskatoon International Airport
* Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
* Tampa International Airport
* Toronto International Airport
* Vancouver International Airport
* Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
* Yellowknife, Northwest Territories - Yellowknife Airport

Historical Fleet

*3 Airbus A300B4-203 - 1986-1989
*12 Airbus A310-304 [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1987-1989; 5 sold to the Canadian Forces as CC-150 Polaris by Canadian Airlines from 1992.
*3 Bristol 170 Freighter [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Transports/Bristol170.htm] - 1958-1977
*2 Boeing 707 [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1968-1978
*1 Boeing 727 [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1966-1973
*5 Boeing 747 [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Transports/Bristol170.htm] - 1973-1989
*5 DHC-3 Otter [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1953-1972 and 1979-1985
*2 DHC-2 Beaver [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1954-1968
*2 Douglas DC-6 [http://www.abheritage.ca/aviation/history/wardair_begins.html] - 1962-1966
*3 Douglas DC-10 [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] [http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-wardair.htm] - 1978-1988

References

* [http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/rulings-decisions/decisions/1989/A/171-A-1989_e.html Canada Transportation Authority ruling on 1989 acquisition]
* [http://www.abheritage.ca/aviation/history/wardair_begins.html Wardair]
* [http://wardaircanada.net/wda/ Wardair Virtual Airline]