page_title: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport / History
caption_attribution_description: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
context_page_description: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport is an international airport located 3 nautical miles northwest of downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The airport is served by passenger, courier and air freight operators. It is named for John Diefenbaker, the 13th Prime Minister of Canada.
  The airport has nine passenger bridges, three ground loading positions, 32 check-in points and a customs/immigration arrivals area.
  The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 200 passengers. However, they can handle up to 300 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.
  In 2017, the airport saw a total of 1.46 million passengers pass through, which was an increase of 0.6% over the previous year.
context_section_description: On June 1, 1929 the city of Saskatoon was given a "License For Air Harbour" and the airport was established. This provided a home for the Saskatoon Aero Club.
  From 1940-7, the city leased the airport to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The airport became RCAF Station Saskatoon. The station was a part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, and the station was home to No. 4 Service Flight Training School. To support these operations four large hangars were built as well as support buildings including a hospital and control tower.
  After the war (1947) the airport was transferred to the Canadian Department of Transport for civilian use. That year Trans-Canada Air Lines, now known as Air Canada, started providing passenger service using DC-3 aircraft.
  Air Canada in 1950 began operating the Canadair North Star at the airport, followed by the Vickers Viscount in 1955. A new terminal building was also constructed in 1955 by Transport Department architects.
  The primary runway (09/27) was lengthened in 1954 and again in 1960 to 8,300 ft (2,530 m). The secondary runway (15/33) was lengthened in 1963 to 6,200 ft (1,890 m).
  From 1950-78 the Airport was again made a station of the RCAF. The station was named RCAF Station Saskatoon.
  On January 1, 1971, the City of Saskatoon annexed the airport and surrounding lands totalling 2,111.7 acres. The nearby area containing personnel housing and support services was annexed by the city in 1965.
  Due to larger aircraft and more frequent flights, in 1972 plans were drafted for a new terminal building. The new terminal built by Holiday and Scott was completed and opened on November 29, 1975. The former terminal was renovated in 1977. From 1977 to 1984 Boeing 747 charter flights were operated by Wardair to Europe until Wardair was bought by Canadian Airlines International.
  In 1993 the name of the airport was changed to recognize Canada's 13th Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. In 1995 under the Canada-US Open Skies agreement Northwest Airlines started service to Minneapolis – Saint Paul. In 1996 WestJet began Boeing 737 service. In 1999 the airport was turned over to the Saskatoon Airport Authority (now known as Skyxe), as part of the National Airports Policy.
  In 2000, Nav Canada constructed a new control tower and the airport authority began renovations and expansions to the terminal building. In October 2002 the first two phases of renovations to the air terminal building was completed at a cost of $18 million. The updated terminal facilities are designed to handle 1.4 million passengers annually was designed by Kindrachuk Agrey Architects. In 2005 additional renovations were completed to the check-in area and baggage screening as well as the addition of a fifth bridge. In 2006 the airport also expanded public parking to 500 stalls. In March 2008 work started on the rehabilitation of runway 09/27, taxiway Foxtrot and Alpha at a cost of $16 million.
  Between October, 2005 and May 2008 Air Canada ended "mainline" service into Saskatoon, turning over routes to Air Canada Jazz. In 2006, Pronto Airways started operating at the airport. In 2006 Transwest Air introduced service to Fort McMurray, Alberta. For a short period of time between 2006 and April 2007 Northwestern Air also operated flights to Fort McMurray. In 2008, United Airlines began non-stop regional service from Denver that operated until 2015. In 2009, United Airlines announced regional service from Chicago that operated until 2014.
  In March 2015, Missinippi Airways began thrice-weekly service to Saskatoon direct to Flin Flon, Manitoba with a one-stop connection to The Pas, Manitoba. Missinippi Airways ceased flying out of Saskatoon three months later.  In June, 2016,  New Leaf Airlines announced they would begin flying to Kelowna and Hamilton direct from Saskatoon twice weekly beginning July 27, 2016. New Leaf cancelled service to Saskatoon in November 2016.
caption: Check-in for Pronto, Skyservice, Sunwing, Northwest, and Air Transat in 2008
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