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Lethbridge Air Service - Beech 18

Photo Credit: www.aeroprints.com

Founding the Airline

The history of Time Air can be traced back to Lethbridge, AB, Canada, when the airline was founded in 1966 by businessman Walter “Stubb” Ross. The airline was called Lethbridge Air Service before becoming Time Airways Ltd. which was then shortened to Time Air Ltd. In 1993 it was merged with Ontario Express to create Canadian Regional Airlines.

Time Air (ICAO Code: TAF; IATA Code: KI; Call Sign: 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. 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.

Time Air (ICAO Code: TAF; IATA Code: KI; Call Sign: 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. 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.

Expanding the Fleet

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 SD-330. Time Air was the first airline worldwide to operate the Short SD-330. The airline also operated Fairchild F-27 turboprops. The next addition was the 50-passenger de Havilland Canada Dash 7 (DHC7) before standardizing with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 (DHC-8). It received the first stretched Dash 8 Series 300 aircraft in the world on February 27, 1989. The 36-passenger Short SD-360 was introduced next for short haul flying in British Columbia, primarily between Vancouver and Victoria.

Airline Acquisitions

The airline acquired 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. Fokker F28 jet operations were very successful, leading the airline to acquire a number of additional aircraft. Eventually Time Air became the world’s largest operator of the aircraft type. By 1999, Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter propjets as well as Fokker F28 jets and de Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprops were being operated on Canadian Regional code share flights into Calgary.

Norcanair - Bristol Freighter

Photo Credit: www.aeroprints.com

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. 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).

Re Branding the Airline

In April 1993 Canadian Regional Airlines branded the operations of Time Air and Ontario Express as “Canadian Regional Airlines. Both airlines used 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. Time Air and Ontario Express were legally amalgamated in July 1998, using Time Air’s air operator certificate. Inter-Canadien became 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.

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