Transwest Air

Transwest Air is a scheduled and charter airline primarily serving the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Its headquarters and main base is at Prince Albert.

For the defunct Australian airline, see Transwest Airlines. For the defunct American airline, see Transwestern Airlines.
Transwest Air
IATA ICAO Callsign
4T[1] ABS[2] ATHABASKA
Founded2000
AOC #12508[3]
HubsPrince Albert (Glass Field) Airport
Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Secondary hubsStony Rapids Airport
Fond-du-Lac Airport
Wollaston Lake Airport (charter base)
Focus citiesSaskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Frequent-flyer programTranswest Air Loyalty Points
Fleet size31[4]/39[5]
Destinations8[6]
Parent companyWest Wind Aviation
HeadquartersPrince Albert, Saskatchewan
Websitetranswestair.com

Transwest was formed in 2000 by the merger of Air Sask, established as La Ronge Aviation in 1960, and Athabaska Airways. The company offers not only scheduled passenger services, but fishing charters, surveying work, forest fire fighting, and medevac operations.

Transwest's equipment includes a number of bush planes and helicopters, and four Saab 340 regional turboprop airliners. The company also operates La Ronge Water Aerodrome, Stony Rapids Water Aerodrome, and Southend/Hans Ulricksen Field Aerodrome. Transwest Air also has maintenance bases in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Stony Rapids. Transwest Air was bought by West Wind Aviation on June 30, 2016.

History

The company was founded by Floyd Glass, who learned to fly in the late 1930s, then served as a military flying training instructor during the Second World War. Postwar, he was the first general manager of the provincial Crown corporation Saskatchewan Government Airways. He resigned from this post, flew briefly with British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Airways, then returned to Saskatchewan and in 1955 formed his own firm, Athabaska Airways, which still exists under the name "Transwest Air". Glass died in 1999. In June 2016, West Wind Aviation put forward a letter of intent to purchase Transwest Air. The company became a subsidiary of West Wind Aviation on July 1, 2016.

In January 2021, it was announced West Wind Aviation will be merged with Transwest Air and renamed Rise Air.[7]

Passenger services

Transwest Air offers scheduled flights to and from:[6]

Fleet

As of August 2019 Transwest Air listed 31 aircraft[4] and had 39[5] aircraft registered with Transport Canada.

Transwest Air Fleet
AircraftTC listABS listVariantsNotes
Beechcraft 1900211900D19 passengers. Can be configured for cargo.
Beechcraft King Air11100A9 passengers and cargo
Beechcraft Super King Air83200, B200, 300, B300, 350Medivac configuration. Transwest lists 1 each 200 and 300 and 350.
Bell 20522205A-1Up to 14 passengers, helicopter
Bell 20633206B, 206L-43 or 5 passengers, helicopter.
Bell 40723up to 6 passengers, helicopter, a derivative of the Bell 206L-4
Cessna 185 Skywagon11A185F3 passengers, wheel/ski or floats.
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver52MK. I5 or 6 passengers, wheels, skis or floats
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter11DHC3-T9 passengers, wheel/skis or floats. Transwest lists its Otter as turbo, Transport Canada lists one piston models
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter64Series 100, Series 200, Series 30012 to 15 passengers, wheels, skis or floats.
Piper PA-31 Navajo56PA-31 Navajo, PA-31-350 Chieftain7 passengers plus cargo
Saab 34034340A, 340B34 passengers. 340A can be configured for cargo.


Transport Canada also shows a Bell 206B, a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter, and a Twin Otter Series 100 all with canceled certificates of registration. There is also a Piper PA-31 Navajo listed with a temporary canceled certificate.[5]

Transwest used to operate British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 twin turboprop aircraft, the Beechcraft Model 99, the Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Travel Air, Cessna 441 Conquest II and the Mitsubishi MU-2.[8]

References
  1. "The Airline Codes Website". www.airlinecodes.co.uk.
  2. Flight International, 30 March - 5 April 2004 p.85
  3. Transport Canada (2019-08-27), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  4. Transwest Air Fleet
  5. "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Transwest Air". Transport Canada. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  6. Transwest Air Route Map
  7. "Two northern Saskatchewan airlines rebrand, consolidate to 'stay alive'". Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  8. Transwest Air Historical gleet
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