) | |||||||
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| Founded | 2005 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | April 30, 2018 | ||||||
| Hubs | Vancouver International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Tofino | ||||||
| Fleet size | 20[1] | ||||||
| Destinations | 6[2] | ||||||
| Parent company | Integra Air | ||||||
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||||||
| Website | http://www.flyorcaair.com/ | ||||||
Orca Airways was a scheduled and charter airline based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The airline provided scheduled commercial service, cargo and charter services, and aircraft management in Canada and the western United States. Orca operated a fleet of that includes 14 Piper PA-31-350 Chieftains, 1 Fairchild SA227s and 2 Beechcraft Model 100 King Air.[1] The company operated from the south terminal at Vancouver International Airport.
History
Orca Airways was a family-owned airline which was founded in January 2005, and began operations in July 2005. At the time it only operated routes from Vancouver International Airport to Tofino/Long Beach Airport operating one Piper Navajo on this route. It soon began expanding to provide charter service and cargo service. Orca Airways had the largest Navajo fleet airline in Canada and continued to expand providing scheduled and cargo routes across British Columbia.
On 27 February 2009 the airline acquired the small regional carrier Airspeed Aviation which was established in 1986 and based in Abbotsford, British Columbia.[3]
On March 15, 2018 Transport Canada suspended the airline's operating certificate citing its "repeated non-compliance with aviation safety regulations".[4][5]
Destinations
As of April 2018, Orca Airways flew to the following destinations:[2]
- Canada, British Columbia
- Port Alberni ground service from Qualicum Beach
- Qualicum Beach (Qualicum Beach Airport)
- Tofino (Tofino/Long Beach Airport)
- Vancouver (Vancouver International Airport)
- Victoria (Victoria International Airport)
Fleet
As of May 2018 Orca Airways fleet was still listed with Transport Canada:[1]
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| Aircraft | No. of Aircraft | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft Model 99 | 1 | ||
| Beechcraft King Air | 2 | Model 100, Model A100 | |
| Beechcraft Super King Air | 1 | Model 200 | |
| Learjet 35 | 1 | 35A | |
| Piper PA-31 Navajo | 14 | PA-31-350 Chieftain | |
| Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner | 1 | SA227-AT |
See also
- List of defunct airlines of Canada
References
- ^ a b c "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Orca Airways". Transport Canada. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
- ^ a b "Flight schedule". Archived from the original on 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
- ^ "Airspeed Aviation". Airline History. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ Canada suspends operator certificate of Orca Airways
- ^ Orca Airways closes shop after 13 years in Business