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Canadian Pacific / CP Air has so many parallels with BCal that they seem almost like sister companies. As such its history is one of constant battling, attempting to compete against the chosen instrument (Air Canada) in a regulated environment where the Government rigged the fight and only occasionally threw it a few bones. Kept on a short leash its hardly a major surprise it was never the huge success it perhaps deserved to be.
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific was formed in 1942 when the railway company of the same name purchased ten small bush flying lines. Despite government limitations on where the airline could operate it grew a large intercontinental route system from its Vancouver base from 1949 onwards pioneering service to Australasia and Latin America as well as the polar route to Europe. Eight Britannias arrived from 1958 replacing DC-6s but where themselves displaced in 1961 by DC-8s. They continued on routes unsuitable for jets like that to Auckland until 1965. CF-CZA ‘Empress of Hong Kong’ passed to TransGlobe as G-ATGD prior to going to ASA. With African Safari she became 5Y-ALP before being broken up at Plymouth in 1972.
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on Flickr
At the end of the 1960s Douglas developed the ultimate DC-8 – the series 63 with the fuselage of the series 61 and wings of the series 62 making it the largest and longest range airliner of its day. CP took 5 receiving its first in January 1968. They operated the long European and Pacific routes being replaced by DC-10s in the late 70s. CPP was originally ‘Empress of Madrid’ prior to lease to UTA in 1972 as F-BOLJ. On her return in 1973 she became ‘Empress of Honolulu’ and later ‘Empress of Alberta’. In 1983 she joined Worldways. now as C-FCPP, and was leased in 1984 to Icelandair and sub-leased to Air Algerie. In 1990 she was sold to Aerolease and converted to a freighter before joining Burlington Air Express as N783AL. Reregistered as N819AX in 1995 for Airborne Express she stayed with them until 2009 when she became 9G-AXD with Meridian Airways.
In 1968 Canadian Pacific became CP Air when its owner the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to align all its brands. In 1973 the first widebodies arrived in the form of four 747-200s of which ‘Empress of Asia’, later ‘Empress of Japan’, was the first. They provided much increased capacity on the Pacific and Latin American routes and were joined in 1977 by DC-10s. In 1986 an unusual aircraft exchange was undertaken with PIA whereby the Pakistani airline swapped its DC-10s for CP Airs 747s. The exchange occurred at Amsterdam and RA became AP-BCN in PIA service. She operated for PIA until at least 2000 when she was stored at Karachi and subsequently broken up.
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on Flickr
The DC-10 was a natural fit for CP Air enabling replacement of their DC-8 fleet for long-range medium capacity routes. The first arrived in 1979 and four (GCPC-PF) were on strength by September 1980. PG ‘Empress of Fiji’ was delivered the next year and followed by PH and PI. An eighth aircraft (PJ) arrived in 1982 second hand from SIA. In 1983 CP Air cross-leased three of its series 30s for three of United’s series 10s and this arrangement lasted until mid 1987. PG was one of the trio that went to the USA and whilst she was away CP Air swapped 4 of its 747s for 4 DC-10s giving it a 12 strong trijet fleet. PG was withdrawn by the then Canadian Airlines in 2000 with a total time of 79,670 hours and 13,178 landings. She was broken up in 2005 at Marana.
Following delivery of 7 new DC-10-30s CP Air purchased an eighth almost new aircraft, 9V-SDC, second hand from SIA which became GCPJ ‘Empress of Rome’. She had only been delivered to Singapore in January 1979. Liberalisation of the air traffic market in the early 1980s allowed CP Air to expand into new Asian markets, but it also had to contend with competition from Air Canada and upgrade its fleet. These contributed to $1 billion of debt. In 1986 a new corporate branding was introduced returning the airline to its traditional name with a new blue colour scheme. However less than a year later the entire airline was sold to PWA for $300 million and the resulting airline was rebranded as Canadian Airlines International. The DC-10s continued to be long-haul workhorses and PJ wasn’t retired until late 1996. In 1998 she joined Continental, as N35084, but was permanently withdrawn in June 2002.
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific was formed in 1942 when the railway company of the same name purchased ten small bush flying lines. Despite government limitations on where the airline could operate it grew a large intercontinental route system from its Vancouver base from 1949 onwards pioneering service to Australasia and Latin America as well as the polar route to Europe. Eight Britannias arrived from 1958 replacing DC-6s but where themselves displaced in 1961 by DC-8s. They continued on routes unsuitable for jets like that to Auckland until 1965. CF-CZA ‘Empress of Hong Kong’ passed to TransGlobe as G-ATGD prior to going to ASA. With African Safari she became 5Y-ALP before being broken up at Plymouth in 1972.
Canadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific Airlines Fleet 1960s - Bristol Britannia & Douglas DC-8-63 by rstretton, on FlickrAt the end of the 1960s Douglas developed the ultimate DC-8 – the series 63 with the fuselage of the series 61 and wings of the series 62 making it the largest and longest range airliner of its day. CP took 5 receiving its first in January 1968. They operated the long European and Pacific routes being replaced by DC-10s in the late 70s. CPP was originally ‘Empress of Madrid’ prior to lease to UTA in 1972 as F-BOLJ. On her return in 1973 she became ‘Empress of Honolulu’ and later ‘Empress of Alberta’. In 1983 she joined Worldways. now as C-FCPP, and was leased in 1984 to Icelandair and sub-leased to Air Algerie. In 1990 she was sold to Aerolease and converted to a freighter before joining Burlington Air Express as N783AL. Reregistered as N819AX in 1995 for Airborne Express she stayed with them until 2009 when she became 9G-AXD with Meridian Airways.
In 1968 Canadian Pacific became CP Air when its owner the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to align all its brands. In 1973 the first widebodies arrived in the form of four 747-200s of which ‘Empress of Asia’, later ‘Empress of Japan’, was the first. They provided much increased capacity on the Pacific and Latin American routes and were joined in 1977 by DC-10s. In 1986 an unusual aircraft exchange was undertaken with PIA whereby the Pakistani airline swapped its DC-10s for CP Airs 747s. The exchange occurred at Amsterdam and RA became AP-BCN in PIA service. She operated for PIA until at least 2000 when she was stored at Karachi and subsequently broken up.
CP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrCP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrCP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrCP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrCP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrCP Air Fleet by rstretton, on FlickrThe DC-10 was a natural fit for CP Air enabling replacement of their DC-8 fleet for long-range medium capacity routes. The first arrived in 1979 and four (GCPC-PF) were on strength by September 1980. PG ‘Empress of Fiji’ was delivered the next year and followed by PH and PI. An eighth aircraft (PJ) arrived in 1982 second hand from SIA. In 1983 CP Air cross-leased three of its series 30s for three of United’s series 10s and this arrangement lasted until mid 1987. PG was one of the trio that went to the USA and whilst she was away CP Air swapped 4 of its 747s for 4 DC-10s giving it a 12 strong trijet fleet. PG was withdrawn by the then Canadian Airlines in 2000 with a total time of 79,670 hours and 13,178 landings. She was broken up in 2005 at Marana.
Following delivery of 7 new DC-10-30s CP Air purchased an eighth almost new aircraft, 9V-SDC, second hand from SIA which became GCPJ ‘Empress of Rome’. She had only been delivered to Singapore in January 1979. Liberalisation of the air traffic market in the early 1980s allowed CP Air to expand into new Asian markets, but it also had to contend with competition from Air Canada and upgrade its fleet. These contributed to $1 billion of debt. In 1986 a new corporate branding was introduced returning the airline to its traditional name with a new blue colour scheme. However less than a year later the entire airline was sold to PWA for $300 million and the resulting airline was rebranded as Canadian Airlines International. The DC-10s continued to be long-haul workhorses and PJ wasn’t retired until late 1996. In 1998 she joined Continental, as N35084, but was permanently withdrawn in June 2002.
Canadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on FlickrCanadian Pacific / CP Air McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s by rstretton, on Flickr
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