Nordair
Nordair (IATA: ND, ICAO: NDR, Call sign: Nordair) was a Quebec-based airline in Canada founded in 1947 from the merger of Boreal Airways and Mont Laurier Aviation.
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Founded | 1947 | ||||||
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Ceased operations | 1987 | ||||||
Destinations | Canada, United States | ||||||
Headquarters | Dorval, Quebec | ||||||
Key people | Fernand “Frank” Henley, Founder and VP |
History
The airline operated from the 1940s to the 1980s. Initially, most of its business was international and transatlantic passenger and freight charters and other contracts. It also operated scheduled flights to a number of destinations in eastern Canada and the Northwest Territories. Nordair flew out of Montreal's two airports: initially from Dorval Airport and later from Montréal-Mirabel International Airport as this latter airfield did not open until 1975. It was headquartered in Montreal (operations at Dorval, Quebec and head office at 1320 Boulevard Graham in Mont Royal).[1]
Nordair was operating scheduled passenger services in July 1959 utilizing Douglas DC-3 and Douglas DC-4 prop aircraft with routings of Montreal - Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit) - Cape Dyer Airport; Montreal - Roberval - Fort Chimo (now Kuujjuaq) - Frobisher Bay; and Montreal - Quebec City - Roberval - Chibougamau.[2]
The airline was still operating scheduled passenger flights 20 years later. According to Nordair's July 1, 1979 system timetable and route map, jet service was being operated as far west as Winnipeg and as far north as the Resolute Bay Airport in the Canadian Arctic with a number of destinations in Ontario and Quebec in Canada being served including Montreal (via Dorval Airport), Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City, Hamilton, ON and Windsor, ON as well as Pittsburgh in the U.S., primarily with Boeing 737-200 jetliners but also with Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprop aircraft.[3] The airline was also operating scheduled passenger flights in 1975 with Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft primarily to destinations in Quebec province.[4] Nordair was continued to operate scheduled passenger flights in 1986 primarily with Boeing 737-200 jets.[5]
Introduction of Boeing 737 jet aircraft
The airline was operating Boeing 737-200 passenger jet service in 1969 in both scheduled and charter operations according to the June 15, 1970 Nordair system timetable which contained the following marketing message concerning its leisure charter flights: SUNNY HOLIDAYS - BLUE TAIL JET CHARTER FLIGHTS TO THE SUN....BARBADOS - JAMAICA - BAHAMAS - FLORIDA - MEXICO [6] This same timetable also lists scheduled passenger service operated by Nordair with the Boeing 737-200 between Montreal Dorval Airport and Fort Chimo (now Kuujjuaq), Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit), Great Whale (now Kuujjuarapik), Hamilton and Resolute.
Merger and aftermath
![](../I/Lockheed_L1049H_CF-NAM_Nordair_MAN_02.07.66_edited-2.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Nordair_DC-4.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Grumman_G.73T_Nordair_Dorval_05.11.73_edited-3.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Nordair_CF-NAB.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Nordair_DC-8.jpg.webp)
Nordair was purchased by Canadian Pacific Air Lines which had operated as CP Air. On March 27, 1987, Pacific Western Airlines purchased Canadian Pacific Air Lines and then emerged as Canadian Airlines. The jet operation was absorbed into Canadian Airlines, while the turboprop operations were absorbed into Inter-Canadien. In 2000, that airline was acquired by Air Canada.
Intair, a scheduled passenger airline that was based in Canada and operated jet and turboprop aircraft, used Nordair's two letter "ND" airline code for its domestic flights in eastern Canada in 1989 until it ceased operations and went out of business.[8]
Another company called Nordair Quebec 2000 Incorporated operated in 2000 as a domestic regional carrier and cargo operator in Quebec, but the licence and licence applications for the airline were suspended in 2006 by Transport Canada, and again the Nordair name disappeared from the airline industry
Destinations
The following destinations in Canada were served by Nordair with scheduled passenger flights during the airline's existence:[9][10][11]
Canada
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Raglan Mines (Asbestos Hill/Deception Bay)
- Bagotville (La Baie)
- Chibougamau
- Dolbeau
- Kuujjuaq (formerly known as Fort Chimo)
- Kuujjuarapik (formerly known as Great Whale / Poste-de-la-Baleine)
- Matagami
- Montreal - Dorval Airport
- Quebec City
- Radisson (La Grande)
- Roberval
- Rouyn-Noranda
- Val-d'Or
- Manitoba
- Nunavut
- Arctic Bay (served via Nanisivik)
- Broughton Island
- Cape Dorset
- Cape Dyer Airport
- Clyde River/Cape Christian
- Coral Harbour
- Hall Beach
- Igloolik
- Iqaluit (formerly known as Frobisher Bay)
- Nanisivik
- Pangnirtung
- Pelly Bay
- Resolute (served via the Resolute Bay Airport which is one of the northernmost commercially served airfields in Canada)
- Northwest Territories
Outside of Canada
Most of the flights to the U.S., the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe were charter flights, as Nordair operated only few scheduled passenger services outside of Canada.
- U.S.
- Detroit
- Fort Lauderdale - scheduled Boeing 737-200 flights
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York City - JFK Airport
- Omaha
- Orlando - scheduled Boeing 737-200 flights
- Pittsburgh - scheduled Boeing 737-200 & Fairchild Hiller FH-227 flights
- St. Petersburg, Florida-Clearwater, Florida
- Seattle
- Van Nuys, California
Military contract flight services
Nordair served as an air service contractor to the Canadian Forces (including ice reconnaissance missions flown with a Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft[12]) and United States Air Force (USAF support flights to DEW Line stations from Alaska to Baffin Island.[13]
Fleet
Aircraft |
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Boeing 737-242 and 2Q8, 2H4, 212, 296, 2T4, 242C, 2Q9, 2E1 |
Convair 990-30A-5 (operated on charter services) |
C-46-1CU Commando |
Douglas DC-6B |
Douglas DC-3/C-47 |
Douglas DC-4 |
Douglas DC-8-52, Super DC-8-61CF, Super DC-8-71 (operated on charter services) |
Fairchild Hiller FH-227D, 227B, 227E |
Lockheed L-1049H-03 Super Constellation |
Lockheed L-188C Electra |
BAC One-Eleven |
Short SC.7 Skyvan |
Total about 24 aircraft |
The Boeing 737-200 fleet included the combi aircraft version for mixed passenger/freight operations.[14]
Nordair also operated de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter STOL capable turboprop aircraft during the early and mid 1970s in scheduled passenger service between the community of Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit) and various local destinations in this region of the Canadian Arctic.[15]
Another type operated by the airline was the Grumman G-73 Mallard amphibious aircraft which had been converted with turboprop engines and was capable of landing on both land and water (see above photo).
In addition, a division of Nordair, Nordair Metro, was operating Convair 580 turboprop aircraft in 1986.[16]
Accidents and incidents
- On 6 February 1973, the Douglas C-47B CF-HTH was damaged beyond economic repair when it was hit by a vehicle at an airport in Montreal.[17]
- On 15 November 1975, Douglas C-47 C-FCSC was damaged beyond economic repair by a fire at La Grande Rivière Airport, Radisson, Quebec.[18]
- On 31 March 1977 Lockheed L-188 Electra CF-NAZ, while parked on the ramp at CFB Summerside, was severely damaged when a Canadian Armed Forces CP-107 (tail 10737) attempted a three-engine landing in bad weather. She was later rebuilt in Van Nuys and re-registered as C-GNDZ.
See also
References
- World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. "495.
- http://www.timetableimages.com, July 16, 1959 Nordair system timetable
- http://www.timetableimages.com, July 1, 1979 Nordair system timetable
- http://www.departedflights.com, April 15, 1975 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Montreal Dorval Airport flight schedules for Nordair
- http://www.timetableimages.com, April 27, 1986 Nordair timetable cover
- http://www.timetableimages.com, June 15, 1970 Nordair system timetable
- http://www.timetableimages.com, June 2, 1968 Nordair system timetable
- http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 15, 1989 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Montreal flight schedules
- http://www.timetableimages.com, Nordair timetable route maps
- http://www.departedflights.com, Nordair route maps
- http://www.airtimes.com/cgat/ca/nordair.htm
- http://www.airliners.net, photos of Nordair Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft
- http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1986/1986%20-%200773.html Archived 2014-12-20 at the Wayback Machine Flight International 1986 - p113
- http://www.departedflights.com, Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Montreal Dorval Airport flight schedules for Nordair
- June 15, 1970; Sept. 20, 1971; April 29, 1974 Nordair system timetables
- http://www.airliners.net/photo/Nordair-Metro/Convair-580/68443
- "CF-HTH Hull-loss description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
- "C-FCSC Hull-loss description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
External links
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