Gander International Airport
Encyclopedia
Gander International Airport is located in Gander
, Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander
shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.
of Imperial Airways
. Within a few years it had four runways and was the largest airport in the world. Its official name until 1941 was Newfoundland Airport.
In 1940, the operation of the Newfoundland Airport was assigned by the Dominion of Newfoundland
to the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) and it was renamed RCAF Station Gander in 1941. The airfield was heavily used by Ferry Command
for transporting newly built aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean
to the European Theatre
, as well as for staging operational anti-submarine patrols dedicated to hunting U-boat
s in the northwest Atlantic. Thousands of aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Corps
/United States Army Air Forces
and the RCAF destined for the European Theatre travelled through Gander.
The Royal Canadian Navy
(RCN) also established Naval Radio Station Gander at the airfield, using the station as a listening post to detect the transmissions and location of enemy submarines and warships.
Following the war, the RCAF handed operation of the airfield back to the dominion government in March 1946, although the RCN's radio station remained and the military role for the entire facility was upgraded through the Cold War
.
following Newfoundland's entry into Confederation
. Numerous improvements were made to the runways and terminals, resulting in much of the present-day configuration. The airport grew in importance through the early decades of the jet age in the 1950s-1970s with its importance being amplified by being situated almost precisely on the great circle
route between the major cities of the U.S.
East Coast
and London
.
The airfield's location was sufficiently close to Europe
to allow the piston-engined
planes of the 1940s to make a non-refueled transatlantic flight
and the same qualities made it ideal for the fuel-inefficient jet aircraft
of the post-war decades.
Consequently, Gander retained its prominence due to the need for a refueling point for early jet aircraft. Airlines such as Trans-Canada Air Lines
(later Air Canada
), British Overseas Airways Corporation
(later British Airways
), and Pan American World Airways
made Gander their main refueling point.
With the advent of jet aircraft with extended ranges in the 1960s, the need for a refueling point ceased on most flights. Gander has steadily decreased in importance since then, but it remains the home of Gander Control
, one of the two air traffic controls (the other being Shanwick Oceanic Control
in western Scotland) which direct the high-level airways
of the North Atlantic. Every plane travelling to and from Europe or North America
must talk to either or both of these air traffic control
s (ATC).
During the Cold War Gander was also notable for the number of persons from the former Warsaw Pact
nations who defected there (including Soviet concert pianist Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov
, Cuban Olympic swimmer Rafael Polinario and the Vietnamese woman famously photographed fleeing a napalmed village, Phan Thị Kim Phúc). It was one of the few refueling points where airplanes could stop en route from eastern Europe or the Soviet Union
to Cuba
.
On December 12, 1985 Arrow Air
Flight 1285
crashed on take-off from runway 21. The disaster claimed the lives of 8 crew and 248 soldiers from the United States Army
's 101st Airborne Division
who were returning home for Christmas
from a peacekeeping
deployment in the Middle East
. The impact on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway
on the shore of Gander Lake
left a charred clearing in the forest where a memorial now stands to those who lost their lives in Canada's most deadly air crash.
, Gander International played host to 39 airliners, totaling 6,122 passengers and 473 crew, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon
. Gander International received more flights than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation apart from Halifax. The 6,595 passengers and crew accounted for the third highest total of passengers that landed at a Canadian airport involved in the operation, behind Vancouver
and Halifax.
A major reason that Gander received so much traffic was partly due to its ability to handle large aircraft, but primarily because Transport Canada
and Nav Canada
instructed pilots coming from Europe to avoid the airports in major urban centers of Central Canada, like Lester B. Pearson
in Toronto
and Montréal-Dorval
. The reception these travelers received in the central Newfoundland communities near the airport has been one of the most widely reported happy stories surrounding that day.
To honour the people of Gander and Halifax for their support during the operation, Lufthansa
named a new Airbus A340-300 "Gander/Halifax" on May 16, 2002. That airplane is listed with the registration D-AIFC, and was the first aircraft in the whole fleet with a city name outside of Germany
.
The airport was the site for Canada's memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the attack, over which Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
, Transport Minister
David Collenette
, US Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci
, and provincial and local officials presided. 2,500 of the 6,600 people that were diverted there the year before also attended the ceremony.
provides funding to cover costs. Currently over 50% of all aircraft operating from the air field are military, and do not pay landing fee
s. However, domestic passenger traffic increased by over seven percent in 2006, while weekly cargo flights from Iceland show some promise of expansion.
In March 2010, Sun Country Airlines
announced that it would use Gander as a refueling stop for its new summer 2010 service between Minneapolis and London Stansted Airport
and for its summer 2011 service between Minneapolis and London Gatwick Airport
.
s: runway 13/31 which is 8900 foot, and runway 03/21 (changed from 04/22 in August 2004) which measures 10200 foot.
The airport's runway 03/21 was also designated as an emergency landing runway for the Space Shuttle
.
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander
CFB Gander
Canadian Forces Base Gander , is a Canadian Forces Base located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is home to air/marine search and rescue operations that cover a vast swath of the western North Atlantic and southern Arctic...
shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.
Early years and prominence
Construction of the airport began in 1936 and it was opened in 1938, with its first landing on January 11 of that year, by Captain Douglas Fraser flying a Fox MothDe Havilland Fox Moth
|-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.* Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II. London: Putnam , 1988. ISBN 0-85177-813-5....
of Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
. Within a few years it had four runways and was the largest airport in the world. Its official name until 1941 was Newfoundland Airport.
In 1940, the operation of the Newfoundland Airport was assigned by the Dominion of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
to the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) and it was renamed RCAF Station Gander in 1941. The airfield was heavily used by Ferry Command
RAF Ferry Command
The RAF Ferry Command had a short life, but it spawned, in part, an organisation that lasted well beyond the war years during which it was formed.-History:...
for transporting newly built aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the European Theatre
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
, as well as for staging operational anti-submarine patrols dedicated to hunting U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s in the northwest Atlantic. Thousands of aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
/United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and the RCAF destined for the European Theatre travelled through Gander.
The Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
(RCN) also established Naval Radio Station Gander at the airfield, using the station as a listening post to detect the transmissions and location of enemy submarines and warships.
Following the war, the RCAF handed operation of the airfield back to the dominion government in March 1946, although the RCN's radio station remained and the military role for the entire facility was upgraded through the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Transatlantic refueling stop
The government named the airport Gander Airport and it came under the administration of Canada's federal Department of TransportTransport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
following Newfoundland's entry into Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. Numerous improvements were made to the runways and terminals, resulting in much of the present-day configuration. The airport grew in importance through the early decades of the jet age in the 1950s-1970s with its importance being amplified by being situated almost precisely on the great circle
Great circle
A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...
route between the major cities of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The airfield's location was sufficiently close to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to allow the piston-engined
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
planes of the 1940s to make a non-refueled transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
and the same qualities made it ideal for the fuel-inefficient jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
of the post-war decades.
Consequently, Gander retained its prominence due to the need for a refueling point for early jet aircraft. Airlines such as Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines was a Canadian airline and operated as the country's flag carrier. Its corporate headquarters were in Montreal, Quebec...
(later Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
), British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(later British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
), and Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
made Gander their main refueling point.
With the advent of jet aircraft with extended ranges in the 1960s, the need for a refueling point ceased on most flights. Gander has steadily decreased in importance since then, but it remains the home of Gander Control
Gander Control
Gander Automated Air Traffic System is a proprietary system of Nav Canada used for the oceanic airspace of the Gander Area Control Centre .Most of the airspace is not monitored by radar, so procedures differ from those in continental airspaces...
, one of the two air traffic controls (the other being Shanwick Oceanic Control
Shanwick Oceanic Control
Shanwick is the Air Traffic Control name given to the area of International Airspace which lies above the northeast part of the North Atlantic...
in western Scotland) which direct the high-level airways
Airway (aviation)
In aviation, an airway is a designated route in the air. Airways are laid out between navigational aids such as VORs, NDBs and Intersections ....
of the North Atlantic. Every plane travelling to and from Europe or North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
must talk to either or both of these air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
s (ATC).
During the Cold War Gander was also notable for the number of persons from the former Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
nations who defected there (including Soviet concert pianist Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov
Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov
Igor Vasilyevich Ivanov was a Russian Grandmaster of chess and a concert pianist.- Early life :He was born in 1947 in Leningrad, USSR, and learned chess at age five. He studied music intensively as a youth, specializing in piano, and was very talented...
, Cuban Olympic swimmer Rafael Polinario and the Vietnamese woman famously photographed fleeing a napalmed village, Phan Thị Kim Phúc). It was one of the few refueling points where airplanes could stop en route from eastern Europe or the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
On December 12, 1985 Arrow Air
Arrow Air
Arrow Cargo was an American cargo airline based in Building 712 on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. It operated over 90 weekly scheduled cargo flights, and had a strong charter business. Its main base was Miami International Airport...
Flight 1285
Arrow Air Flight 1285
Arrow Air Flight 1285 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland...
crashed on take-off from runway 21. The disaster claimed the lives of 8 crew and 248 soldiers from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
who were returning home for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
from a peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
deployment in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The impact on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
on the shore of Gander Lake
Gander Lake
Gander Lake is located in the central part of the Canadian island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the third-largest lake on Newfoundland....
left a charred clearing in the forest where a memorial now stands to those who lost their lives in Canada's most deadly air crash.
Operation Yellow Ribbon
On September 11, 2001, with United States airspace closed due to the terrorist attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, Gander International played host to 39 airliners, totaling 6,122 passengers and 473 crew, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon
Operation Yellow Ribbon
Operation Yellow Ribbon was commenced by Transport Canada to handle the diversion of civilian airline flights in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. Canada’s goal was to ensure that potentially destructive air traffic be removed from U.S. airspace as quickly as possible, and away from...
. Gander International received more flights than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation apart from Halifax. The 6,595 passengers and crew accounted for the third highest total of passengers that landed at a Canadian airport involved in the operation, behind Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
and Halifax.
A major reason that Gander received so much traffic was partly due to its ability to handle large aircraft, but primarily because Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
and Nav Canada
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
instructed pilots coming from Europe to avoid the airports in major urban centers of Central Canada, like Lester B. Pearson
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Montréal-Dorval
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
. The reception these travelers received in the central Newfoundland communities near the airport has been one of the most widely reported happy stories surrounding that day.
To honour the people of Gander and Halifax for their support during the operation, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
named a new Airbus A340-300 "Gander/Halifax" on May 16, 2002. That airplane is listed with the registration D-AIFC, and was the first aircraft in the whole fleet with a city name outside of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The airport was the site for Canada's memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the attack, over which Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, Transport Minister
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
David Collenette
David Collenette
David Michael Collenette, PC was a Canadian politician from 1974 to 2004, and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. A graduate from York University's Glendon College in 1969, he subsequently received his MA from in 2004...
, US Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci
Paul Cellucci
Argeo Paul Cellucci is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and US Ambassador to Canada.-Early life and career:...
, and provincial and local officials presided. 2,500 of the 6,600 people that were diverted there the year before also attended the ceremony.
Future growth
Officials at Gander International Airport have stated that the future for the airport is grim unless the federal governmentGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
provides funding to cover costs. Currently over 50% of all aircraft operating from the air field are military, and do not pay landing fee
Landing fee
A landing fee is a charge paid by an aircraft to an airport company for landing at a particular airport. Landing fees can vary greatly between airports, with congested airports, ones where most of the landing slots are held by airlines being able to charge premium prices because of supply and...
s. However, domestic passenger traffic increased by over seven percent in 2006, while weekly cargo flights from Iceland show some promise of expansion.
In March 2010, Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
MN Airlines, LLC, operating as Sun Country Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Mendota Heights, Minnesota...
announced that it would use Gander as a refueling stop for its new summer 2010 service between Minneapolis and London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
and for its summer 2011 service between Minneapolis and London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
.
Runways
Currently, Gander has two active runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: runway 13/31 which is 8900 foot, and runway 03/21 (changed from 04/22 in August 2004) which measures 10200 foot.
The airport's runway 03/21 was also designated as an emergency landing runway for the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
.
Scheduled
Charter
External links
- NBC News feature featuring Tom Brokaw: "A Tribute to Gander, Newfoundland ", February 27, 2010
- New York Times travel article. Gollner, Adam. "Gander Airport: When the Going Was Good", 20 March 2005