▁to ▁Military ▁Air ▁Transport ▁Service ▁( M AT S ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁under ▁its ▁Air ▁We ather ▁Service . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁trans it ▁point ▁by ▁the ▁▁ ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Canada . ▁The ▁base ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁and ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁civil ian ▁air port . ▁ ▁Civil ian ▁use ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁F rob isher ▁Bay ▁had ▁earned ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁technical ▁stop ▁for ▁air lines ▁flying ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic . ▁C rew s ▁depart ing ▁west ward ▁from ▁Pr est wick ▁or ▁Sh annon ▁in ▁those ▁years ▁preferred ▁to ▁route ▁via ▁I cel and ▁( or ▁the ▁Az ores ) ▁to ▁G ander , ▁th ence ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁or ▁elsewhere . ▁We ather , ▁however , ▁could ▁dict ate ▁a ▁nor ther ly ▁course , ▁which ▁is ▁when ▁F rob isher ▁Bay ▁came ▁into ▁its ▁own . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁Pan ▁American ▁even ▁had ▁a ▁base ▁there ▁and ▁on ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁occasions ▁had ▁to ▁change ▁engines ▁on ▁Douglas ▁DC - 7 C s ▁at ▁F rob isher ▁Bay . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁inter cont inental ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 0 7 ▁and ▁Douglas ▁DC - 8 , ▁fewer ▁air lines ▁stopped ▁at ▁I q al uit . ▁The ▁place ▁remained ▁prominent ▁as ▁a ▁regional ▁air port , ▁continued ▁in ▁its ▁strateg ic