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Gander - town in province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Gander is a small town of 12,000 people (2016) with a huge international airport (IATA: YQX) on the Trans-Canada Highway in Central Newfoundland. Established in 1935, the airport was once a major refuelling point for almost all trans-Atlantic flights.

Understand

As the easternmost major fog-free airport on the north Atlantic coast, Gander was a frequent stop for both civil and military trans-Atlantic aviation. "Goose and Gander" were strategic transit points for the Royal Air Force Air Ferry Command during World War 2 and key refuelling stops for civil aviation in the early years of commercial "jet set" travel. Both airports have diminished in importance as range of commercial passenger aircraft increased to allow more routes to fly non-stop, advances in instrument navigation made a fog-shrouded landing in St. John's safe and routine, and de-escalation at the end of the Cold War curtailed military flights. On the other side of the Atlantic, Shannon in Ireland had a similar function (and still does for the LCY-NYC flights that are too heavy when taking off with a full tank) and became known as the birthplace of the Duty Free Shop at Airports.

There are various local memorials to aviators and servicemen, including Commonwealth War Graves for a hundred and one who served during the Second World War (Gander hosted air-reconnaissance planes, military defence forces and an anti-aircraft regiment) and a Silent Witnesses Memorial which overlooks a site where an Arrow Air flight carrying 256 peacekeepers of the 101st US Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles” home from the Sinai Peninsula crashed on take-off.

Gander accepted more diverted passengers during the September 11, 2001 attacks than any other Canadian airfield except Halifax and Vancouver and more aircraft than any city except Halifax, adding 6,600 people to its local population (in 2001) of 9650 in just a few hours. Lufthansa named one Airbus A340 "Gander/Halifax" to acknowledge both cities and a book The Day The World Came to Town recorded the incident for posterity. There was also musical called Come From Away which enjoyed successful runs both on Broadway and in London's West End, among other places.

Visitor information

Get in

By car

Gander is located on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). Gander is 330 km west of St. John's and 570 km east of Port Aux Basques.

By bus

By plane

Airport

Airlines

Canadian airlines operating to Gander:

  • Air Canada, +1-514-393-3333. Canada's largest airline with hubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. It operates across Canada and services international destinations. 2022-04-25 Operates daily flights to Gander from Halifax (1.75 hours).
  • Air Borealis, reservations@airborealis.ca. Native-owned airline with scheduled air service between Goose Bay, Makkovik, Natuashish, Nain, Postville, Rigolet, and Hopedale from Sunday to Friday; small aircraft transport people and cargo to remote points otherwise difficult to access except by sea. 2022-04-27
  • PAL Airlines, reservations@palairlines.ca. One of the largest regional airlines operating in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and to Ottawa. 2022-04-27 Operates flights to Gander from Goose Bay (1.5 hours).
  • Sunwing Airlines. Low cost Canadian airline that operates some flights within Canada throughout the year and specializes in seasonal flights to warmer, southern international vacation destinations in the winter. 2022-04-25
  • Westjet. Canada's second largest airline services with hubs in Calgary and Toronto. It operates across Canada and services international destinations. 2022-04-25

Get around

Busy Bee Cabs (+1 709 256-1444 ) and M&S Limousine Service (+1 709 256-8426) provide local transport.

Budget (+1 709 256-3566), National (+1 709 256-4934) and Thrifty (+1 709 256-8955) provide hire cars at the airport; there's also a Rent-a-Wreck (+1 709 256-7066) on the main highway.

See

Lockheed-Hudson at the North Atlantic Aviation Museum

  • North Atlantic Aviation Museum, 135 Trans-Canada Highway, 48.9525°, -54.6224°, +1 709 256-2923. Summer: daily 9AM-7PM, rest of the year: M-F 9AM-5PM. The history of aviation in Gander, once an important refuelling stop on trans-Atlantic flights. Museum exhibits cover wartime operations during World War II and the town's role in hosting 6600 travellers when 38 civilian and 4 military flights diverted to Gander during the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Adult (19-60) $8, senior (61 +) or youth (6-18) $7, student – $7 (ID required), child (0-5) free 2019-07-23
  • A total solar eclipse on Monday 8 April 2024 starts at 5:12PM local time and lasts two minutes. The chances of a clear sky are 25%. The track of totality is northeast from Mexico and Texas to Ohio, straddling the Canada–New England border, then across Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

Do

Gander Golf Club

Events

  • Festival of Flight. First Monday in August. Five-day local festival with sports, parade, live music, fireworks on Gander Day municipal holiday.

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Hotels

Bed & Breakfast

Caravan parks

Connect

Go next

Gander

gandercanada.com
Postal code:A1VDate Time:Please wait...Timezone:America/St_JohnsPopulation:11,054Coordinates:48.96, -54.61

Newfoundland and Labrador

Primary administrative division

Canada

canada.ca
Population:37.1 MDial code:+1Currency:Dollar (CAD)Voltage:120 V, 240 V, 60 Hz
NEMA 14-30NEMA 14-50