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 aFox Moth ofImperial Airways. Within a few years it had four runways and was the largest airport in the world.[8] Its official name until 1949 was "Newfoundland Airport".
TheRoyal 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 of Newfoundland government in March 1946, although the RCN's radio station remained and the military role for the entire facility was upgraded through theCold War. The Canadian federal government changed the name to "Gander Airport" after Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. It opened the current passenger terminal in 1959.[9]
On 16 September 1945, the first transatlantic proving flight, aPan AmDC-4, departed Gander forShannon in western Ireland.[10] On 24 October 1945, the first scheduled commercial flight, anAmerican Overseas Airlines DC-4, passed through Gander.
Following Newfoundland's entry intoConfederation, the government renamed the airport "Gander International Airport", and it came under the administration of Canada's federalDepartment of Transport. Numerous improvements were made to the runways and terminals.
Gander is near thegreat circle route between eastern North America and Europe. Starting in the 1940s it was a refueling stop fortransatlantic flights and continued in this role through the early 1960s and in some cases into the 1990s. Carriers at Gander during this era included:
Aeroflot operatedIlyushin Il-86 widebody flights during the 1980s and early 1990s between Moscow and such long-range destinations as New York and Havana. Due to the IL-86's limited range of approximately 2,000 mi (3,200 km), the flights would make refueling stops at both Shannon and Gander en route to the final destination.[11] The Boeing 747-200s of the same era had typical ranges from 5,000–6,000 mi (8,000–9,700 km) and were much more sought after by international airlines.[12] The IL-86 was used almost exclusively by Aeroflot and successor post-Soviet airlines.[13]
Air France ran several services through Gander connecting Paris and Shannon to Montreal, Boston, and New York in the 1950s.[14]
American Overseas Airlines used Gander as a stop forLockheed Constellation flights between New York and London from 1947.[15]
British Overseas Airways Corporation operated Constellations on London-Shannon-Gander-New York, London-Glasgow-Gander-New York, and London-Glasgow-Gander-Montreal routings from 1947.[16] By 1960, the Gander stop was only used as an alternative to a Glasgow or Shannon stop forBristol Britannia service to Montreal and Toronto.[17]
KLM used Gander as a stop on Amsterdam-Glasgow-Gander-New York service from 1946.[19]
Pan American World Airways used Gander as a stop for transatlanticDouglas DC-4 service betweenNew York-Idlewild andShannon (continuing to London and Lisbon) starting in 1946.[20] Gander remained in use in 1960 as a stop forDouglas DC-7 services between New York and Scandinavia, although other transatlantic flights bypassed Gander by that point.[21]
Trans World Airlines operated Boston-Gander-Shannon and Boston-Gander-Azores-Lisbon services from 1947 using Constellations, with onward service to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and India.[25]
Runway 04/22 was extended from 8,400 to 10,500 ft (2,560 to 3,200 m) in 1971 and is now 03/21 at 10,200 ft (3,100 m).[26][2]
With the advent of jets with longer range in the 1960s, most flights no longer needed to refuel. Gander has decreased in importance, but it remains the home ofGander Control, one of the two air traffic control centres (the other beingShanwick Oceanic Control which is split between two sites – one inPrestwick, Scotland and the other inShannon, Ireland), which direct the high-levelNorth Atlantic Tracks. Most aircraft travelling to and from Europe or North America must talk to at least one of theseair traffic controls.
As of 2007, some commercial transatlantic flights still use Gander as a refuelling stop; most notably, some American legacy carriers (United Airlines andDelta Air Lines in particular) who use theBoeing 757 to connect smaller European cities with their major US hubs.[27][needs update] The 757 is particularly affected in this respect, as it was not an aircraft intended or designed for transatlantic flights.[28] This practice has been controversial, since strong headwinds over the Atlantic Ocean during the winter months can result in the flights being declared "minimum fuel", forcing refuelling stops at Gander in order to safely complete their journeys.[29]
During the Cold War, Gander was notable for the number of persons from Communist nations who defected there (including Soviet chess player and pianistIgor Vasilyevich Ivanov, Cuban Olympic swimmer Rafael Polinario,[30] and the Vietnamese woman famously photographed as a naked girl fleeing a napalmed village,Phan Thi Kim Phuc). It was one of the few refueling points where the smaller airplanes used by airlines that served the Eastern Bloc could stop en route from Eastern Europe or theSoviet Union to Cuba.[31]
On 12 December 1985, Gander was the site of theArrow Air Flight 1285 disaster, in which aDouglas DC-8 with 256 on board, mostly soldiers from the US Army101st Airborne Division, crashed during takeoff, probably due to being overweight and experiencingatmospheric icing; there were no survivors. The crash was, and remains, as of May 2025[update], the deadliest airplane accident on Canadian soil.[32]
AnAir FranceAirbus A330 parked at Gander in February 2025 after a mechanical issue led to a diversion
Today, Gander remains an important stop fortransatlantic flights that require a diversion. The long runways at the airport are a big reason for this, as any aircraft can land at the airport.
The airport has been used historically as a testing site for the testing and development of many aircraft. The use of the airport for crosswind testing, in particular, has led to it being the airport of choice in recent years.
Concorde used the airport in 1974 to testTransatlantic flight capabilities. Passengers were selected from the town population to fly to England and France on test flights, and experience supersonic flight. In September 1975, Concorde G-BOAC made two return trips to Gander in one day, becoming the first aircraft to make four transatlantic crossings in a single day.[33]
Gander became the first Canadian airport at which aBoeing 787 Dreamliner landed at, asBoeing used Gander for crosswind testing on the 787-8 in 2011.[citation needed] In 2018, the787-10 used the airport for crosswind testing as well.[34]
TheGander International Airport Authority (GIAA;French:Autorité aéroportuaire de Gander) was formed in 1996[36] by theGovernment of Canada, which was divesting its direct control of airports across the country to similar operating agencies. Previously, Gander was operated by the Government of Newfoundland from 1938 to 1942 and 1945 to 1949[37] before transferring to the Government of Canada when Newfoundland became a province.[38] Its mission is to operate the airport in a self-sufficient fashion. It receives its revenues from landing fees on airlines, departure fees on passengers, parking revenues and facility rentals. The revenues are used for operating and capital expenses.
Following theSeptember 11 attacks on September 11, 2001, with United States airspace closed, Gander International played host to 38 airliners, totaling 6,122 passengers and 473 crew,[39] as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. Gander International received more flights than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation apart fromHalifax. The 6,595 passengers and crew accounted for the third highest total of passengers that landed at a Canadian airport involved in the operation, behindVancouver and Halifax.
A major reason that Gander received so much traffic was its ability to handle large aircraft and becauseTransport Canada andNav Canada instructed pilots coming from Europe to avoid major airports in Central Canada, such asToronto-Pearson andMontréal-Dorval.[40] The reception these travellers 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 andHalifax for their support during the operation,Lufthansa named a newAirbus A340-300 "Gander/Halifax" on May 16, 2002. That airplane is listed with the registration D-AIFC,[41] D-AIFC had been diverted to Gander during Operation Yellow Ribbon, and was the first aircraft of that fleet with a city name from outside of Germany. (D-AIFC was withdraw from use on the 12th of November 2025)
Officials at Gander International Airport stated in 2006 that the future for the airport is grim unless thefederal government provides funding to cover costs. Over 50% of all aircraft operating from the air field are military, and do not paylanding fees.[42]
The terminal building—built in the 1950s and noted for its modernist design and heritage architecture—still includes many of its original furnishings and fixtures. In April 2014, Gander Airport Authority made plans to abandon the existing terminal building due to high operating costs and replace it with a new terminal a quarter of the size.[43] In 2017, the airport announced the existing terminal would instead be renovated and downsized, at a cost of $26.4 million.[44]
Gander has two activerunways: runway 13/31 which is 8,900 ft × 200 ft (2,713 m × 61 m), and runway 03/21 (changed from 04/22 in August 2004) which measures 10,200 ft × 200 ft (3,109 m × 61 m) and underwent a $10 million comprehensive rehabilitation project, completed in September 2012.
The airport's runway 03/21 was designated as an emergency landing runway for NASA'sSpace Shuttle orbiter. The airport is also an important emergency landing runway for large aircraft in transatlantic operation in theETOPS system, which requires aircraft to always be within a specified distance from a suitable alternate landing site in case of engine failure.[45] For many two-engine aircraft this is two or three hours with malfunction in one engine.
Gander Airport Safety and Airside Operations is responsible for fire and rescue operations using three vehicles at their station within the airport. It also has a mutual aid agreement with the Town of Gander Fire Department to provide additional fire fighting services.[46]
A designated area for aviation photographers was built by the Airport Authority. It is located parallel to runway 13/31 on the north side of the airfield. It consists of a parking lot and designated places for photographers to have unobstructed shots of aircraft arriving and departing with the full terminal as a backdrop.
On 21 February 1941, three people were killed when aLockheed L-14 Super Electra/Hudson departing from Gander crashed nearMusgrave Harbour after both of the plane's engines failed. The fatalities includeSir Frederick Grant Banting who died of wounds and exposure. The navigator and co-pilot died instantly, but Banting and the pilot, CaptainJoseph Mackey, survived the initial impact. According to Mackey, the sole survivor, Banting died from his injuries the next day.[54]
On 18 September 1946, 27 people died when aSABENADouglas DC-4 (OO-CBG) crashed 35 km short of Gander Airport, where the aircraft planned to land for a refueling stop on the flight from Brussels to New York. At the time of the accident (07:42UTC), there was dense fog near the airport, and the pilot executed a flawed approach at too low an altitude. There were 17 survivors (16 passengers and one crew).[58]
On 18 April 1953, aLockheed Ventura, CF-FAW, with four crew members of Spartan Air Services disappeared after departing Gander on a flight to Ottawa.
On 25 August 1954, aLockheed L-749 ConstellationF-BAZI ofAir France of flight AF075 on the Paris–Shannon–Gander–New York–Mexico City route overran the runway and crashed into a ravine upon landing.[60]
On 5 September 1967 anIlyushin Il-18 (registration OK-WAI) ofCzechoslovak State Airlines flight 523 crashed on climbout heading east on runway 13 while on a Prague-Shannon-Gander-Havana passenger service, killing 37 of 69 on board; the cause was never determined.[62]
On 12 December 1985Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed on take-off from the then runway 22. The disaster claimed the lives of all 8 crew members and 248 soldiers of theUnited States Army's101st Airborne Division who were returning home for Christmas from apeacekeeping deployment in theMiddle East. The impact on the south side of theTrans-Canada Highway on the shore ofGander Lake left a charred clearing in the forest where a memorial now stands to those who died in Canada's deadliest air crash.[32]
On 17 December 1998 anAntonovAn-124,RA-82046 ofVolga-Dnepr Airlines landed on runway 13 and slid off the runway and came to rest 60 metres from the button of runway 31. The aircraft was embedded in mud and no. 4 engine caught on fire.[55]
On 20 April 2016,Air Canada Express flight 7804 (EV7804), which was operated by anEVAS AirBeechcraft 1900D (C-FEVA) crashed upon landing on runway 03. At the time of arrival, the weather conditions were described as ¨Heavy Snow¨ and the visibility at the airport was 1/8Statute mile visibility. The flight, arriving fromGoose Bay, touched down right of the runway centerline, and veered right. The nose gear of the aircraft struck a snow windrow and subsequently collapsed, causing 7 out of the 8 blades of the propellers to separate from the engine. On the right side of the aircraft, a piece of propeller blade punctured the aircraft. Of the 14 occupants onboard, (12 passengers and 2 crew) everyone survived, and 3 people sustained minor injuries.[63]
On 10 March 2022, aCH-149 Cormorant of 103 Search & Rescue Squadron crashed during a training exercise, injuring all six crew members.[64]
^Mercer, Greg (April 25, 2022)."Gander's famous airport hopes the past is a big part of its future".The Globe and Mail. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2023.On Sept. 11, 2001, Gander International hosted 38 planes, with 6,122 passengers and 473 crew, that were rerouted due to the terrorist attacks
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