Canadian Pacific Air Lines facts for kids

Canadian Pacific Air Lines, often called CP Air, was a big Canadian airline. It flew for many years, from 1942 to 1987. CP Air was created by joining several smaller airlines in the 1940s.

At first, CP Air faced a challenge. Another airline, Air Canada, was owned by the government. Air Canada had special rights to fly many routes within Canada. This meant CP Air could not fly on the same routes.

To grow, CP Air looked beyond Canada. In 1949, it started flying to other countries. These included Australia, China, Fiji, and The Netherlands. These were places where Air Canada did not fly.

Growing with Jet Planes

In 1961, CP Air got its first jet aircraft. It was a Douglas DC-8. Jet planes were much faster and could fly further. This helped the airline expand even more.

By the 1960s, CP Air was a truly global airline. It flew to many cities across five continents. These continents were Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Changes and New Routes

In the early 1980s, rules for airlines changed. CP Air was then allowed to fly almost anywhere it wanted. The airline quickly bought more planes. It also started many new flight routes.

However, this fast growth came with a cost. By 1987, the airline had a large debt.

The End of CP Air

In 1987, Air Canada was no longer owned by the government. Around this time, a company called Pacific Western Airlines bought Canadian Pacific Airlines.

The airline was then renamed Canadian Airlines. Later, in 2001, Canadian Airlines joined with Air Canada. This brought the story of CP Air to a close.

Gallery

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  A CP Air DC-8 in Portugal.

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  A CP Air DC-10 at Manchester Airport.

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  The last paint-job used after the airlines was renamed "Canadian Pacific Air Lines". It was shortened to just "Canadian" after the merger.

Images for kids

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  CP Air 737 landing at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada in 1971

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  Bristol Britannia 314 "Empress of Rome" at Manchester Airport in 1965

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  A Douglas DC-8 at London Gatwick Airport in 1977

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  CP Air Boeing 747, Boeing 737 and Boeing 727 at Toronto International Airport in 1975

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  A Boeing 737-200 at San Francisco International Airport in 1983

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  A Boeing 737-200 in the 1986 livery, later used as the basis for the Canadian Airlines livery

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  CF-CPQ after the incident at Sydney Airport in 1971.

See also

In Spanish: Canadian Pacific Air Lines para niños