Wasaya Airways facts for kids
A Hawker Siddeley HS 748 parked in front of the Red Lake hangar
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| Founded | 1989 |
|---|---|
| AOC # | 11802 |
| Hubs | Thunder Bay International Airport Sioux Lookout Airport |
| Secondary hubs | Red Lake Airport Pickle Lake Airport |
| Fleet size | 17 |
| Destinations | 24 |
| Parent company | Wasaya Group Inc. |
| Headquarters | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| Key people | Paul Disley (President and CEO) |
Wasaya Airways LP is an airline in Canada. It is owned by First Nations communities. Its main office is in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The airline's main bases are the Thunder Bay International Airport and the Sioux Lookout Airport. Wasaya Airways also offers special flights and cargo services from Red Lake Airport and Pickle Lake Airport.
In 2003, Wasaya Airways took over flights to remote First Nations communities from Bearskin Airlines. The airline also delivers important items like food, clothes, and other supplies to 25 communities in Ontario.
Contents
History of Wasaya Airways
The airline started in 1989 as Kelner Airways. In 1993, its name changed to Wasaya. The name "Wasaya" comes from the Oji-Cree language. It means "it is bright" in English, like the bright rising Sun.
Over the years, Wasaya Airways has grown a lot. It started with floatplanes, which are planes that can land on water. Now, it offers regular flights for passengers and special charter flights.
In October 2010, the company bought a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 plane. This helped make their fleet of planes even stronger.
Where Wasaya Airways Flies
Scheduled Flights in Ontario
Wasaya Airways flies to many places in Ontario. These are some of the communities they serve:
- Bearskin Lake First Nation (Bearskin Lake Airport)
- Deer Lake First Nation (Deer Lake Airport)
- Fort Severn First Nation (Fort Severn Airport)
- Kasabonika Lake 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)
- Nibinamik First Nation (Summer Beaver), (Summer Beaver Airport)
- North Spirit Lake First Nation (North Spirit Lake Airport)
- Pickle Lake (Pickle Lake Airport), a cargo base
- Pikangikum First Nation (Pikangikum Airport)
- Poplar Hill First Nation (Poplar Hill Airport)
- Red Lake (Red Lake Airport), a main base
- Sandy Lake First Nation (Sandy Lake Airport)
- Sioux Lookout (Sioux Lookout Airport), a main base
- Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay International Airport), a main base
- Wapekeka First Nation (Angling Lake/Wapekeka Airport)
- Wunnumin Lake First Nation (Wunnumin Lake Airport)
Wasaya Airways Fleet
As of July 2025, Wasaya Airways has 17 planes registered with Transport Canada. They use six different types of aircraft.
| Aircraft | Number of planes | What they are used for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42 | 1 | Used for carrying freight. | |
| ATR 72 | 2 | Used for carrying freight. | |
| Beechcraft 1900 | 6 | Can seat up to 18 people. Used for regular and special flights. | |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | 1 | Can seat up to 9 people. Used for regular flights, special flights, and carrying freight. | |
| De Havilland Canada Dash 8 | 2 | Can seat up to 37 or 44 people. Used for regular and special flights. | |
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 4 | Used for carrying freight. | |
| Pilatus PC-12 | 1 | Can seat up to 9 people. Used for regular flights, special flights, and carrying freight. | |
| Total | 17 | ||
Safety and Incidents
Aviation safety is very important. When an incident happens, experts investigate to understand what occurred and how to prevent similar events in the future.
- On September 11, 2003, a Wasaya Airways Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane had an accident near Summer Beaver. Sadly, everyone on board passed away. Investigators looked into the accident to find out what happened.
- On June 12, 2012, a Wasaya Airways Hawker Siddeley HS 748 plane caught fire. This happened while it was unloading jet fuel at Sandy Lake Airport. No one was hurt, but the plane was badly damaged.
- On December 11, 2015, Wasaya Airways Flight 127, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, crashed. This happened while it was flying from Pickle Lake Airport to Angling Lake/Wapekeka Airport. The pilot, who was the only person on board, passed away. Investigations helped understand the factors involved in the accident.
