Wasaya Airways

Wasaya Airways LP (or in Oji-Cree ᐙᐦᓭᔮ ᐱᒥᐦᓭᐎᐣ (Waaseyaa Bimisewin); unpointed: ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᓭᐎᐣ) is a First Nations-owned domestic airline[7] with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.[8] Its main hubs are the Thunder Bay International Airport and the Sioux Lookout Airport; It also offers a charter and cargo service from a base in Red Lake Airport and Pickle Lake Airport. 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.

Wasaya Airways
A Hawker Siddeley HS 748 parked in front of the Red Lake hangar
IATA ICAO Callsign
WP WSG[1] WASAYA[1]
Founded1989
AOC #11802[2]
HubsThunder Bay International Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport
Secondary hubsRed Lake Airport
Pickle Lake Airport
Fleet size17[3][4]
Destinations24[5]
Parent companyWasaya Group Inc.
HeadquartersThunder Bay, Ontario
Key peoplePaul Disley (President and CEO)[6]
Websitewww.wasaya.com

History

Established in 1989 as Kelner Airways,[9] it was renamed Wasaya in 1993. The new name comes from the Oji-Cree language, which means "it is bright" in English, in reference to the brightness of the rising Sun.

Over the years, the airline has grown from a floatplane operation to 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 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 to bolster its fleet.

Destinations
Two Beechcraft 1900Ds of Wasaya Airways at Sioux Lookout Airport
Pilatus PC-12 of Wasaya Airways at Pickle Lake Airport
Cessna 208B C-FKAD in Red Lake

Scheduled services

Wasaya Airways serves the following destinations in Ontario:[5]

Fleet

As of March 2024, Wasaya Airways had 17 aircraft listed on their website, however individual numbers are not listed, and registered with Transport Canada.[3][4]

Wasaya Airways fleet
AircraftNo. of aircraft
TC		VariantsNotes[4]
ATR 421ATR 42-320Not listed at Wasaya Airways site
ATR 722ATR 72-212Not listed at Wasaya Airways site
Beechcraft 190061900DSeats up to 18, used for scheduled and charter service
Cessna 2081208B Grand CaravanSeats up to 9, used for scheduled, charters, freight services, and fuel
De Havilland Canada Dash 82DHC-8-102 / DHC-8-314Seats up to 37 for scheduled and charter service and 0 on the freight only.
Hawker Siddeley HS 7484748 Series 2AUsed for charters for freight and fuel only with no passengers
Pilatus PC-121PC-12/45Seats up to 9, used for scheduled, charters and freight services
Total 17

Accidents and incidents
  • On 11 September 2003, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan of Wasaya Airways Flight 125 crashed near Summer Beaver, killing all eight 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) northwest of the runway. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada was unable to determine the cause.[10][11]
  • On 12 June 2012, a Wasaya Airways Hawker Siddeley HS 748 caught fire while unloading JET A-1 jet fuel at Sandy Lake Airport in Northwestern Ontario. No injuries were reported. The aircraft burned to the ground, and only the left wing and nacelle survived.[12]
  • On 11 December 2015, Wasaya Airways Flight 127, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, while en route from Pickle Lake Airport to Angling Lake/Wapekeka Airport, crashed approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) north northeast of Pickle Lake Airport. The pilot was the sole occupant and was killed in the crash. The probable cause for the accident was flying in known or forecast icing conditions although the aircraft was prohibited from doing that, and a high take-off weight that increased the severity of degraded performance when the flight encountered icing conditions.[13][14]

References
  1. "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 4 May 2023. p. 8. Retrieved 27 February 2023. Wasaya Airways: WSG, WASAYA
  2. Transport Canada (27 August 2019), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  3. "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Wasaya Airways". Transport Canada. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. "Our Fleet". Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  5. Destinations and Communities
  6. Executive Biographies
  7. About
  8. Contact
  9. "Kelner Airways". Airline History. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  10. "CADORS report for Wasaya Airways (WSG125)". Transport Canada.
  11. "Aviation Investigation Report A03H0002". Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  12. "CADORS report for Wasaya Airways (FTTW)". Transport Canada.
  13. "CADORS report for Wasaya Airways (WSG127)". Transport Canada.
  14. "Aviation Safety Network, Wasaya Flight 127".
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