Time Air

Last updated
Time Air
Time Air Logo, April 1993.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
KITAFTIME AIR
Founded1969 (1969)
Ceased operationsApril 1993 (1993-04)
(merged into Ontario Express to form Canadian Regional Airlines)
Hubs
Focus cities Saskatoon
Parent company Canadian Airlines International
Headquarters Lethbridge, Alberta
Time Air DHC-7 Dash 7 arriving at Seattle-Tacoma Airport in 1989 DHC-7-102 C-FCOQ Time Air SEA 20.05.89R edited-3.jpg
Time Air DHC-7 Dash 7 arriving at Seattle-Tacoma Airport in 1989
Convair CV-640 TimeAir Convair 640.jpg
Convair CV-640

Time Air was an airline in Canada founded in 1966 by businessman Walter “Stubb” Ross from Lethbridge in Alberta. It was called Lethbridge Air Service before becoming Time Airways Ltd. in 1969, [1] which was later shortened to Time Air Ltd. In 1993 it was merged with Ontario Express to create Canadian Regional Airlines.

Contents

History

Time Air began with "Stubb" Ross flying the aircraft and picking up passengers from their Lethbridge homes. The airline was initially based at the Lethbridge Airport. [2] Time Air quickly filled a void that was left in southern Alberta when Air Canada ceased flying Vickers Viscount turboprop service from Lethbridge nonstop to Calgary and direct to Edmonton in the early 1970s. [3] Over the next 20 years Time Air's fleet progressed from the 20-passenger de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, to the 30-passenger Short 330. Time Air was the first airline to operate the Short 330 (known as the "Flying Boxcar" for their boxy shape) [4] The airline also operated Fairchild F-27 turboprops. The next addition was the 50-passenger de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 before standardising with the Bombardier DHC-8 Dash 8. It received the first stretched Dash 8 Series 300 aircraft in the world on February 27, 1989. The 36-passenger Short 360 was introduced next for shorthaul flying in British Columbia, primarily between Vancouver and Victoria. The airline acquired a number of other scheduled carriers, most notably Calgary-based Southern Frontier Airlines and Saskatoon-based Norcanair . As a result, Time Air briefly operated other aircraft types, including a number of Convair CV- 580 and Convair CV-640 turboprops. Time Air also flew Fokker F28 Fellowship twin jet aircraft. F28 jet operations were very successful, leading the airline to acquire a number of additional aircraft, eventually becoming the world's largest operator of the type at the time. By 1999, Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter propjets as well as F28 jets and Dash 8 turboprops were being operated on Canadian Regional code share flights into Calgary. [5]

Canadian Airlines International (formed when Pacific Western Airlines took over CP Air) acquired a minority interest in Time Air in the late 1980s and acquired 100% ownership in January 1991. At the same time Canadian Airlines International created a holding company called Canadian Regional Airlines to manage its investments in Time Air and other regional carriers (which included Ontario Express and Inter-Canadien).

In April 1993 Canadian Regional Airlines branded the operations of Time Air and Ontario Express as "Canadian Regional Airlines" with both airlines using Canadian Airlines International two letter "CP" code for their flight numbers via a code sharing arrangement. In 1995, Time Air was operating Canadian Airlines Partner code share passenger feed service. [6] Time Air and Ontario Express were legally amalgamated in July 1998, using Time Air's air operator certificate. By then Inter-Canadien had become a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Regional Airlines, although it continued to operate as a separate brand. Canadian Regional Airlines was merged into Air Canada Jazz in 2001, following Air Canada's acquisition of Canadian Airlines International.

Destinations in 1970

According to its October 25, 1970 system timetable, the airline was operating scheduled passenger service to only five destinations, all located in the province of Alberta, and was known as Time Airways: [7]

By early 1976, Time Air had expanded service to sixth destination in Alberta, being Grande Prairie (YQU), while continuing to serve the other five destinations listed above and its fleet was composed of two turboprop aircraft types at this time: the Fokker F27 Friendship and the STOL capable de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. [8] By late 1978, a seventh destination in Alberta had been added, being Pincher Creek (WPL) with the airline operating Short 330 turboprops in addition to the DHC-6 Twin Otters at this time. [9] The airline was also serving close-in Edmonton Industrial Airport (YXD, which was later renamed Edmonton City Centre Airport and is now closed) instead of Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and was competing with Pacific Western Airlines jet service operated with Boeing 737-200s on the Calgary-Edmonton Industrial Airport route. Time Air continued to compete on this route and by the spring of 1981 was operating the STOL capable de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 on all of its flights between Calgary and Edmonton. [10]

Destinations in 1988

According to the October 30, 1988 Time Air system route map, the airline was operating scheduled passenger service to the following destinations in Canada and the United States: [11]

Time Air was operating two international routes to the U.S. at this time: Vancouver-Seattle and Regina-Minneapolis/St. Paul. [12] Service to Seattle was operated with de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 and DHC-8 Dash 8 propjet aircraft with multiple flights a day while service to Minneapolis/St. Paul was flown daily with a Fokker F28 twin jet. The only other international route flown by Time Air was nonstop service between Lethbridge and Great Falls, Montana which was operated earlier in 1988; however, by October 1988, the airline had ceased all service on this route. [13]

Fleet

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wardair</span> Defunct Canadian airline (1952–1989)

Wardair Canada was a privately run Canadian airline, founded by Max Ward in 1952 under the name Wardair Ltd, before formally changing its name to "Wardair Canada" in 1976. The airline was acquired by and folded into Canadian Airlines in 1989.

Pacific Western Airlines Ltd (PWA) was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Air Ontario Inc. was a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Sarnia then London, Ontario. In 2002, Air Ontario became Air Canada Jazz.

Air BC was a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It later became part of Air Canada Jazz. This regional airline primarily flew turboprop aircraft but also operated jets as well as an Air Canada Connector carrier on behalf of Air Canada via a code share feeder agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Regional Airlines</span> Defunct regional airline of Canada (1993—2000)

Canadian Regional Airlines was a regional airline headquartered in Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is now part of Air Canada Jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Airlines (Canada)</span>

Great Lakes Airlines was a regional airline in Canada. It was formed in 1958 in Sarnia, Ontario by John Blunt and by 1983 became Air Ontario Ltd. In June 1987 Air Ontario Ltd. merged with Austin Airways to form Air Ontario Inc. which in turn subsequently operated Air Canada Connector code sharing passenger flights on behalf of Air Canada with Convair 580 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 series 100 and 300 turboprops. Air Ontario also operated Fokker F28 Fellowship jets at one point.

Lethbridge Airport, previously Lethbridge County Airport, is located 4 nautical miles south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10–15 driving minutes from downtown Lethbridge, and has scheduled service to the city of Calgary, Alberta. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a call-out basis from the Sweetgrass-Coutts Border Crossing. CBSA officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers. The airport hosts the biennial Lethbridge International Airshow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport</span> Airport in Yukon, Canada

Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport is an airport of entry located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It is part of the National Airports System, and is owned and operated by the Government of Yukon. The airport was renamed in honour of longtime Yukon Member of Parliament Erik Nielsen on December 15, 2008. The terminal handled 294,000 passengers in 2012, representing a 94% increase in passenger traffic since 2002. By 2017, this number had risen to 366,000. Air North is based in Whitehorse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper–Natrona County International Airport</span> Airport in Wyoming, USA

Casper–Natrona County International Airport is 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Casper, in Natrona County, Wyoming. Before December 19, 2007 the airport was called Natrona County International Airport.

Alberta Citylink was an airline based in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. It operated domestic passenger service for Air Canada as an Air Canada Connector air carrier via a code sharing agreement. Its main base was Medicine Hat Airport, with a hub at Calgary International Airport

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort St. John Airport</span> Airport in British Columbia, Canada

Fort St. John Airport, North Peace Regional Airport, or North Peace Airport, is located at Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. The airport is operated by North Peace Airport Services Ltd. A new record of 257,295 passengers came through the airport in 2015, up from the 252,729 passengers seen in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nantucket Memorial Airport</span> Airport in Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket Memorial Airport is a public airport on the south side of the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the Town of Nantucket and is located three miles (5 km) southeast of the town center. It is the second-busiest airport in the state, after Logan International Airport, due to intense corporate travel to and from the island in the high season.

Quebecair was a Canadian airline that operated from 1947 until 1986. Quebecair was headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a part of Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grande Prairie Airport</span> Airport in Alberta, Canada

Grande Prairie Airport is a commercial airport located 3 nautical miles west northwest of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. It is the largest airport in the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, having served 446,000 passengers in 2014 and 436,000 in 2015, ranking among the busiest regional airports in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norcanair</span> Defunct Canadian airline

Norcanair was the name of a Canadian airline that existed from 1947 to 1987, and again briefly in the early 1990s and from 2001 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton City Centre Airport</span> Former airport in Alberta, Canada

Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA), also called Blatchford Field as well as Edmonton Municipal Airport, was an airport within the city of Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Nelson Airport</span> Airport in Fort Nelson, British Columbia

Northern Rockies Regional Airport is located 3.8 nautical miles east northeast of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.

Pincher Creek Airport is located 3.0 nautical miles northwest of Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada.

Aspen Airways was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acquired by Mesa Airlines and Air Wisconsin Services, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intrastate airline</span> Carrier operating within one US state

Intrastate airlines in the U.S. are defined as air carriers operating inside of one individual state and thus not flying across state lines. Larger intrastate airlines in the U.S. that operated mainline turboprop and/or jet aircraft were created as a result of former federal airline regulations, as passenger air carriers that only flew intrastate service were not regulated by the federal government but were instead primarily regulated by the respective state governments in their home states. For example, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and Air California were both regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) prior to the federal Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Although intrastate airlines in some states used only turboprop aircraft, scheduled passenger service on jet aircraft was operated by intrastate air carriers in California, Florida, Hawaii and Texas.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 25, 1970 Time Airways system timetable
  2. ↑ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide (OAG), corporate airline headquarters address for Time Air
  3. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, April 26, 1970 Air Canada system timetable
  4. ↑ "Boeing de Havilland (Canada)". Flight Magazine. Flightglobal. 1989-04-29.
  5. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Calgary flight schedules
  6. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Vancouver, B.C. flight schedules
  7. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 25, 1970 Time Airways system timetable
  8. ↑ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Time Air flight schedules
  9. ↑ Dec. 15, 1978 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American edition
  10. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1981 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Edmonton (YXD) flight schedules
  11. ↑ http://www.airtimes.com, Oct. 30, 1988 Time Air route map
  12. ↑ http://www.airtimes.com, Oct. 30, 1988 Time Air route map.
  13. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, May 1, 1988 Time Air route map
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.