Wasaya Airways
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| Founded | 1989 | ||||||
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| Hubs |
Thunder Bay International Airport, Sioux Lookout Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 20[2] | ||||||
| Destinations | 26[3] 28[4] | ||||||
| Company slogan | 'Experience WASAYA' | ||||||
| Parent company | Wasaya Group Inc. | ||||||
| Headquarters | Thunder Bay, Ontario | ||||||
| Key people | Michael Rodyniuk (President) | ||||||
| Website | www.wasaya.com | ||||||
Wasaya Airways LP (or in Oji-Cree ᐙᐦᓭᔮ ᐱᒥᐦᓭᐎᐣ (Waaseyaa Bimisewin); unpointed: ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᓭᐎᐣ) is a 100% First Nations owned domestic airline with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario, Canada.[5] Its main hubs are the Thunder Bay International Airport and the Sioux Lookout Airport, however, it also offers a charter and cargo service from a base in Red Lake and Pickle Lake. In 2003, Wasaya Airways bought the rights to serve remote First Nations communities from Bearskin Airlines. The airline also supplies food, clothing, hardware and other various supplies to 25 remote communities in Ontario.
Established in 1989, the name "Wasaya" comes from the Oji-Cree language, which means "it is bright" in English, in reference to the brightness of the rising Sun. The airline has grown over the years starting off as a floatplane operation to now a charter and scheduled passenger service airline. Its inflight magazine Sagatay is published in conjunction with Wawatay Native Communications Society. In October 2010, the company purchased a Bombardier Dash 8 to bolster its fleet.
Destinations
Scheduled services[3]
- Ontario
- Bearskin Lake (Bearskin Lake Airport)
- Deer Lake (Deer Lake Airport)
- Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope) (Fort Hope Airport)
- Fort Severn (Fort Severn Airport)
- Kasabonika First Nation (Kasabonika Airport)
- Keewaywin First Nation (Keewaywin Airport)
- Kingfisher First Nation (Kingfisher Lake Airport)
- Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation (Big Trout Lake) (Big Trout Lake Airport)
- Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation (Muskrat Dam Airport)
- Neskantaga First Nation (Lansdowne House) (Lansdowne House Airport)
- Nibinamik First Nation (Summer Beaver), (Summer Beaver Airport)
- North Spirit Lake First Nation (North Spirit Lake Airport)
- Pickle Lake (Pickle Lake Airport)
- Pikangikum First Nation (Pikangikum Airport)
- Poplar Hill (Poplar Hill Airport)
- Red Lake (Red Lake Airport)
- Sachigo Lake First Nation (Sachigo Lake Airport)
- Sandy Lake (Sandy Lake Airport)
- Sioux Lookout (Sioux Lookout Airport)
- Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay International Airport)
- Wapekeka First Nation (Angling Lake/Wapekeka Airport)
- Weagamow Lake (Round Lake (Weagamow Lake) Airport)
- Webequie First Nation (Webequie Airport)
- Wunnumin Lake First Nation (Wunnummin Lake Airport)
Other destinations[6]
- Ontario
- Attawapiskat (Attawapiskat Airport)
- Fort Albany (Fort Albany Airport)
- Hearst (Hearst (René Fontaine) Municipal Airport)
- Kashechewan First Nation (Kashechewan Airport)
- Moosonee (Moosonee Airport)
- North Bay (North Bay/Jack Garland Airport)
- Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Airport)
- Greater Sudbury (Sudbury Airport)
- Timmins (Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport)
Fleet
As of November 2016 Wasaya Airways had the following 23 aircraft registered with Transport Canada.[2]
| Aircraft | Number | Variants | Idents | Notes[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avro 748 | 3 | Series 2A | FFFS, GLTC, GMAA | Freight and bulk fuel only, also known as the "Hawker Siddeley 748" |
| Dash 8 - 102 | 1 | Series 100 | GJSV | 37 passengers |
| Dash 8 - 314 | 1 | Series 300 | GMWT | 50 passengers - Owned and operated for Goldcorp |
| Beechcraft 1900D Airliner | 7 | 1900D | FQWA, FWAU, FWAX, FWZK, GSWA, GZVJ, GWOV, GWOX | 15-19 passengers |
| Cessna 208B Caravan | 4 | 208B | FKAD, FKDL, FPCC, FWAW, FHWA | 9 passengers |
| Pilatus PC-12 | 4 | PC12-45 | FKPI, FWAF, FWAV, FWAQ, GBJV, GZGZ | 9 passengers |
Accidents and incidents
- On 6 August 1998, Wasaya Airways Flight 804 was a British Aerospace BAe-748 that overran the runway at Kasabonika Airport injuring all 4 crew.
- On 11 September 2003, a Cessna 208B Caravan of Wasaya Airways Flight 125 crashed near Summer Beaver killing all 8 persons on board. The flight originated in Pickle Lake and was scheduled to land at Summer Beaver Airport, but the airplane crashed and burned 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) short of the runway. The Transportation Safety Board was unable to determine the cause.[8]
- 12 June 2012 - A Wasaya Airways Hawker-Siddley 748 caught fire during ground operations at Sandy Lake First Nation in Northwestern Ontario. No injuries were reported. Aircraft burned to the ground, only the left wing and nacelle survived.
- 11 December 2015 - Wasaya Airways Flight 127, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, while en route from Pickle Lake Airport, ON (YPL/CYPL) to Angling Lake/Wapekeka Airport, ON (YAX) crashed approximately 28km NE of Pickle Lake Airport. The pilot was the sole occupant and was unfortunately killed in the crash. The incident is still under investigation as of Feb. 22, 2016, and the cause of crash has not yet been determined.[9]
References
- ↑ Transport Canada - Air Traffic Designators - TP 143 (PDF)
- 1 2 Transport Canada listing of aircraft owned by "Wasaya Airways" (enter Wasaya Airways in the box titled "Owner Name")
- 1 2 Wasaya Airways main page
- ↑ Wasaya Airways online booking
- ↑ "Directory." Wasaya Airways. Retrieved on April 14, 2011. "Administration and General Inquiries Head Office Thunder Bay" and "300 Anemki Place, Suite B, RR#4, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7J 1H9"
- ↑ Wasaya Airways "Where We Fly..."
- ↑ Wasaya Airways Fleet
- ↑ "Aviation Investigation Report A03H0002". Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ↑ "Aviation Safety Network, Wasaya Flight 127".
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wasaya Airways. |