Austin Airways
Encyclopedia
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and freight carrier based in Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and the oldest in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Code Information
- ICAO Code:
- IATA Code:
- Call Sign:
Company history
It was Canada's oldest airline and started service in 1934. The home base was TimminsTimmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
and it operated many duties in addition to passenger and freight services. Over the years, scheduled services served over 40 cities, including some destinations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1973 it merged with White River Air Services but continued to operate as Austin Airways.
In June 1987 it merged with Air Ontario Ltd (formerly Great Lakes Airlines (Canada)
Great Lakes Airlines (Canada)
Great Lakes Airlines was an airline in Canada. It was formed in 1958 in Sarnia , Ontario by Mr. John Blunt and by 1983 became Air Ontario Ltd...
, formed in 1958) to form Air Ontario
Air Ontario
Air Ontario Inc. was a Canadian airline now part of Air Canada Jazz. It was headquartered in London, Ontario.- History :Air Ontario Inc. was established in June 1987, with the merger of Austin Airways, Canada’s oldest airline, which began service in 1934, and Air Ontario Ltd...
Inc. In turn Air Ontario became part of Air Canada Jazz
Air Canada Jazz
Jazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
in 2001.
Aircraft Used
Over its long history, Austin Airways used the following aircraft:- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Hawker Siddeley HS 748
- de Havilland Canada DHC-2 BeaverDe Havilland Canada DHC-2 BeaverThe de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
- de Havilland Canada DHC-3 OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-3 OtterThe de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, but was overall a larger aircraft.-Design and...
- de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterThe DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
- Consolidated CansoPBY CatalinaThe Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
Destinations
Most of the locations Austin Airway flew were isolated and remote airports in Northern OntarioNorthern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
and a few larger airports across Ontario. Rupert House and Minneapolis were the only out of province locations flown by the airline by the 1980s.
- Attawapiskat, Ontario
- Bear Lake, Ontario
- Bearskin Lake, Ontario
- Big Trout Lake, Ontario
- Cochrane, OntarioCochrane, OntarioCochrane is a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District...
- Fort Albany, OntarioFort Albany, OntarioFort Albany First Nation is a community in within the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada. Situated on the southern shore of the Albany River, Fort Albany First Nation is only accessible by air or by winter road....
- Fort Hope, Ontario
- Geraldton, Ontario
- Kapuskasing, OntarioKapuskasing, OntarioKapuskasing is a town on the Kapuskasing River in the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Hearst...
- Kasabonika Lake, Ontario
- Kashechewan First NationKashechewan First NationThe Kashechewan First Nation is a Cree First Nation located near James Bay in Northern Ontario, Canada. The community is located on the northern shore of the Albany River. Kashechewan First Nation is one of two communities that were established from Old Fort Albany in the 1950s...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... - Kenora
- Lansdowne House, Ontario
- Manitouwadge, OntarioManitouwadge, OntarioManitouwadge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Thunder Bay District, at the north end of Highway 614, east of Thunder Bay and west of Sault Ste. Marie.-History:...
- Marathon, OntarioMarathon, OntarioMarathon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Thunder Bay District, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.- History :...
- Minneapolis
- Moosonee, OntarioMoosonee, OntarioMoosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
- Nakina, Ontario
- Pickle Lake, OntarioPickle Lake, OntarioPickle Lake is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the most northerly community in the province that has year-round access by road. Located north of Thunder Bay, highway access is via Highway 599, the only access road to the town from the south. More northerly communities rely...
- Pikangikum, Ontario
- Red Lake, OntarioRed Lake, OntarioPopulation trend:* Population in 2006: 4526* Population in 2001: 4233* Population total in 1996: 4778** Golden : 2248** Red Lake : 2277* Population in 1991:** Golden : 2355** Red Lake : 2268-Climate:...
- Round Lake, Ontario
- Rupert House (Waskaganish, QuebecWaskaganish, QuebecWaskaganish is a Cree village of about 2000 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in the Eeyou Istchee territory in Northern Quebec, Canada...
) - Sachigo Lake, Ontario
- Sandy Lake, Ontario
- Severn, OntarioSevern, OntarioSevern is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, located between Lake Couchiching, and the Severn River in Simcoe County...
- most northerly destination - Sioux Lookout, OntarioSioux Lookout, OntarioSioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station...
- Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
- TimminsTimminsTimmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
- most southerly destination - Webequie First NationWebequie First NationWebequie First Nation is located on the northern peninsula of Eastwood Island on Winisk Lake, 540 km north of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Webequie is a fly-in community with no summer road access. The primary way into the community is by air to Webequie Airport or winter road, which...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... - Winisk, OntarioWinisk, OntarioWinisk is a small ghost town in extreme Northern Ontario, situated along the Winisk River. It was destroyed in the 1986 Winisk Flood. After the flood, the town was re-located to Peawanuck, Ontario, 30 km inland....
Accidents and incidents
- In January 1964, Douglas C-47 CF-ILQ crashed 50 minutes after take-off on a cargo flight from Moosonee to Nemiscan Settlement, Ontario. Both pilots were seriously injured, but were pulled from the aircraft 4–5 days later by a search and rescue party and ultimately survived. It was determined that the crash was caused by fuel deprivation leading to engine failure of both of the aircraft's engines. To this day, the hulk of the aircraft still sits where it had crashed in 1964, despite being partially salvaged, and burned from a forest fire that swept across the area in the mid-1980s.
- On 9 November 1969, Douglas C-47B CF-AAL crashed on approach to Timmins AirportTimmins AirportTimmins Victor M. Power Airport, , is located north-northwest of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The airport serves both scheduled passenger and cargo flights and general aviation, including air ambulance , forest-fire fighting, and flight training....
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
killing two of the four people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic flight from Winisk, OntarioWinisk, OntarioWinisk is a small ghost town in extreme Northern Ontario, situated along the Winisk River. It was destroyed in the 1986 Winisk Flood. After the flood, the town was re-located to Peawanuck, Ontario, 30 km inland....
. - On 19 June 1970, Douglas C-47A CF-AAC was written off in an accident at Val-d'Or AirportVal-d'Or AirportVal-d'Or Airport, , is located south of Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:*On 19 June 1970, Douglas C-47A CF-AAC of Austin Airways was written off in an accident....
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. - On 10 December 1976, Douglas C-47A C-FIAX crashed on take-off from Chisabisi Airport. All eight people on board survived.
- On 19 January 1986, Douglas C-47A C-GNNA struck a 150 feet (45.7 m) high Non-directional beaconNon-directional beaconA non-directional beacon is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF...
tower and crashed at Sachigo Lake AirportSachigo Lake AirportSachigo Lake Airport, , is located north of the First Nations community of Sachigo Lake, Ontario, Canada.Because Sachigo Lake First Nation is a "dry" community that forbids alcohol, each arriving passenger has their luggage searched in a separate arrivals building to make sure they are not...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.