First Air
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| First Air | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| IATA 7F |
ICAO FAB[1] |
Callsign FIRST AIR |
| Founded | 1946 | |
| Frequent flyer program | Aeroplan | |
| Fleet size | 24[2]21[3] | |
| Destinations | 28[4] | |
| Headquarters | Kanata, Ontario | |
| Key people | Bob Davis (President) | |
| Website: http://www.firstair.ca | ||
Bradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, is an airline based in Kanata, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It operates services to 24 communities in Nunavut, Nunavik and the Northwest Territories. It also charters its fleet worldwide through brokers, freight forwarders and alliances with other carriers. Its main base is Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, with hubs at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Iqaluit Airport and Yellowknife Airport.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Code data
First Air is unusual in that it is one of the few international airlines that does not have a designated ICAO call sign.[1]
[edit] History
The airline was founded and started operations as Bradley Air Services in 1946 and is still registered under that name. First Air first started scheduled operations in 1973, between Ottawa and North Bay, Ontario. This service was operated with an eight seat passenger plane. Eventually, the airline would have southern gateways at Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. Through Kuujjuaq, in northern Quebec, the airline provides vital services to the Inuit community, covering 16 Inuit communities with its partnership with Air Inuit. In 1995 First Air bought Ptarmigan Airways, and in 1997 it bought Northwest Territorial Airways, both of which were merged into First Air.[citation needed]
First Air is wholly owned by the Inuit people of Quebec through the Makivik Corporation, who purchased the company in 1990.[citation needed]
[edit] Destinations
First Air operates services to the following domestic scheduled destinations (as of October 2007[4]):
- Nunavut
- Cambridge Bay (Cambridge Bay Airport)
- Cape Dorset (Cape Dorset Airport)
- Clyde River (Clyde River Airport)
- Gjoa Haven (Gjoa Haven Airport)
- Hall Beach (Hall Beach Airport)
- Igloolik (Igloolik Airport)
- Iqaluit (Iqaluit Airport)
- Kimmirut (Kimmirut Airport)
- Kugaaruk (Kugaaruk Airport)
- Kugluktuk (Kugluktuk Airport)
- Nanisivik (Nanisivik Airport)
- Pangnirtung (Pangnirtung Airport)
- Pond Inlet (Pond Inlet Airport)
- Qikiqtarjuaq (Qikiqtarjuaq Airport)
- Rankin Inlet (Rankin Inlet Airport)
- Resolute (Resolute Bay Airport)
- Talaoyak (Taloyoak Airport)
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[edit] Fleet
The First Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of March 2007):[citation needed]
| Aircraft | No. of Aircraft (FAB list)[3] |
No. of Aircraft (TC list)[2] |
Variants | Idents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospatiale ATR 42 | 8 | 8 | ATR42-300 ATR42-320 |
FIQR, FIQU, FTCP, FTJB, GHCP, GUNO,GSRR, GULU | Max 42 seats, combi aircraft, Ice/Gravel runway capable |
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 3 | 5 | Series 2 Series 2A |
GDUL, GFNW, GGNZ, GJVN, GTLD | Max 40 seats, combi aircraft, Ice/Gravel runway capable GDUL and GGNZ have been stripped for parts and are no longer active, although they are still shown in the Transport Canada database |
| Boeing 727 | 2 | 3 | 727-200 727-200C |
FUFA, GXFA, GYFA | One 200C series max 174 seats, combi aircraft, C-GXFA is one of only 2 200C's in operation in the world, Ice runway capable, One 200F series cargo aircraft only, Ice/Gravel runway capable One B727-200F C-GYFA has been retired by the company, and is no longer showing on the First Air webpage and can be seen parked and stripped at the Ottawa airport |
| Boeing 737 | 6 | 6 | 737-200 737-200C |
FACP, FNVK, FNVT, GCPT, GNDC, GNWN | Four 200C series max 115 seats, combi aircraft, Ice/Gravel runway capable, Two 200 series max 99 seats, all passenger aircraft One B737-200C (FNVK) was recently added to the Transport Canada database and is shown on the First Air website only as a press release |
| L-382 Hercules | 2 | 2 | L-382G | GHPW, GUSI | Cargo aircraft only, Ice/Gravel runway capable,First Air operates the only 2 civilian Hercules in Canada |
FMOC a Douglas DC-3 is still listed with Transport Canada but with its certificate cancelled.
[edit] External links
- First Air official website
- Above & Beyond inflight magazine
- First Air profile at Industry Canada
- New ATR 42 press release
- New B737 press release
[edit] References
- ^ a b Transport Canada - Air Traffic Designators - TP 143 (PDF)
- ^ a b Transport Canada listing of aircraft owned by "Bradley Air Services" (enter Bradley Air Services in the box titled "Owner Name")
- ^ a b *First Air fleet details (PDF)
- ^ a b First Air route map
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-04-03, p. 82.
