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Air BC

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Air BC Ltd.
IATA ICAO Call sign
ZX ABL AIRCOACH
FoundedDecember 1, 1980 (1980-12-01)
Ceased operationsNovember 1, 2001 (2001-11-01)[a]
HubsVancouver International Airport
Frequent-flyer programAeroplan
AllianceStar Alliance (affiliate; 1997–2001)
Parent companyAir Canada
HeadquartersRichmond, British Columbia, Canada

Air BC[1] was a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.[2] 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.

History

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A BN-2 Islander aircraft in 1983 at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
A DHC-7 Dash 7 aircraft in 1983 at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
A BAe 146-200 in Air Canada Connector livery in 1989 at now closed Edmonton City Centre Airport (YXD).
AirBC logo during the late 1980s, before being bought by Air Canada.

Air BC was established in 1980 after the merger (by the Jim Pattison Group) of a number of west coast domestic airlines: Calumet Air Service, Canadian Air Transit, Flight Operation, Gulf Air Aviation, Haida Airlines, Island Airlines, Omineca Air Services, Pacific Coast Air Services and West Coast Air Services. A combined fleet emerged, including STOL capable de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters with some Twin Otters being operated as float planes. In 1983, STOL capable DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop aircraft were delivered and then in 1986 DHC-8 Dash 8-100 turboprops were acquired.

In 1987, Air Canada purchased 85% of Air BC, and Air BC became an Air Canada regional partner operating as Air Canada Connector. Air BC entered the jet age in 1988 with British Aerospace BAe 146-200 aircraft which was the only jetliner type ever operated by the air carrier. In 1994, the airline was operating British Aerospace Jetstream 31 propjets as part of their Air Canada Connector code share feeder services. Stretched DHC-8 Dash 8-300 turboprop aircraft were introduced as well. In March 1995, Air Canada purchased the remaining shares of Air BC.

In January 2001, a newly merged carrier called Air Canada Regional Inc was established. A wholly owned subsidiary of Air Canada, this company combined the individual strengths of five regional airlines – Air BC, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Alliance and Canadian Regional Airlines. Consolidation of these five companies was completed in 2002 and was marked by the launch of a new name and brand: Air Canada Jazz.

Destinations

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Air BC served the following destinations in the fall of 1991 in Canada and the U.S. according to the Air BC – Air Canada Connector November 3, 1991, system timetable route map;[3] by 1999, Air BC had expanded its Air Canada Connector service and was flying BAe 146-200 jet service nonstop between Edmonton and Denver.[4] In 2001, Air BC was operating Air Canada Connector service with its BAe 146-200 jets nonstop to Denver from Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.[5]

 Alberta

 British Columbia

 Manitoba

 Saskatchewan

 United States

Fleet

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Air BC operated the following aircraft:[1][6]

Air BC fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
BAe 146-100 1 1980 2002
BAe 146-200 7 1988 2001
BAe Jetstream 31 Un­known Un­known Un­known
Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander Un­known Un­known Un­known
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 8 1980 1996
de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 Un­known Un­known Un­known
de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 15 1985 2002
de Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8 6 1990 2002

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ merged with Air Nova, Air Ontario and Canadian Regional Airlines to form Air Canada Jazz

References

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  1. ^ a b Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: History Search Result for "Air BC"
  2. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 34." Retrieved on June 17, 2009. "Head Office: 4680 Cowley Crescent, Richmond, British Columbia V7B 1C1, Canada"
  3. ^ "Air BC".
  4. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Denver-Edmonton flight schedules
  5. ^ "Airlines Serving Denver in June 2001". 29 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Air BC Fleet Details and History". 27 December 2023.
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