Article

Wardair International Ltd

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited March 4, 2015

 Wardair International Ltd, with head offices in Toronto, was an international and domestic airline incorporated in Alberta in 1953 as Wardair Ltd. Initially a bush charter airline based in Yellowknife, NWT, the name was changed in 1962 to Wardair Canada Ltd. It became a public company in 1967.
Ward, Max
In 1953 Ward formed his company, Wardair Ltd, which pioneered the air transport of heavy equipment to the far North. He is shown here in 1953 with a new de Havilland Otter (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-60892).

Wardair International Ltd

 Wardair International Ltd, with head offices in Toronto, was an international and domestic airline incorporated in Alberta in 1953 as Wardair Ltd. Initially a bush charter airline based in Yellowknife, NWT, the name was changed in 1962 to Wardair Canada Ltd. It became a public company in 1967. In 1972 the company formed 2 subsidiaries, Canada UK Travel (later Wardair (UK) Ltd) and International Vacations (Intervac), to solicit passengers and operate tour packages. In 1976 the company name was changed to Wardair International Ltd. In 1986 the company was granted permission to run regular scheduled flights to domestic and foreign locations. In 1986 it had sales of $491.1 million (ranking 177th in Canada), assets of $456.4 million (ranking 171st) and 2664 employees. Its major shareholder was Max WARD, founder of the company. In 1989, Canadian Airlines acquired Wardair and all the latter's operations were wound up by April 1990.