Orca Airways
Encyclopedia
Orca Airways is a scheduled and charter airline based in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. Orca operates a fleet of 15 Piper Navajo aircraft from the south terminal at Vancouver International Airport
.
to Tofino Airport
operating a Piper Navajo on this route. It soon began expanding to not only provide scheduled air service but also charter service and cargo service as well. Orca Airways is currently the largest Navajo fleet airline in Canada and continues to expand providing scheduled and cargo routes across British Columbia.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, 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...
. Orca operates a fleet of 15 Piper Navajo aircraft from the south terminal at Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
.
History
Orca Airways is a family owned airline which was founded in January 2005, where it began operations in July 2005. At the time it only operated routes from Vancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
to Tofino Airport
Tofino Airport
Tofino/Long Beach Airport, , is located southeast of Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.It is used by private and small commercial planes. Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer, complicating access by air until the weather clears. Several IFR approaches are available including GPS...
operating a Piper Navajo on this route. It soon began expanding to not only provide scheduled air service but also charter service and cargo service as well. Orca Airways is currently the largest Navajo fleet airline in Canada and continues to expand providing scheduled and cargo routes across British Columbia.
Destinations
As of August 2008, Orca Airways operates the following destinations:- Canada
- Abbotsford, British ColumbiaAbbotsford, British ColumbiaAbbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
(Abbotsford International AirportAbbotsford International AirportAbbotsford International Airport is located in the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, southwest of the city centre.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
) - Vancouver, British Columbia (Vancouver International AirportVancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
) - Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
(Victoria International AirportVictoria International AirportVictoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is north northwest of the city, in North Saanich, quite close to the town of Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula...
) - Tofino, British ColumbiaTofino, British ColumbiaTofino is a district of about 1,650 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, located at the western terminus of Highway 4, on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula, at the southern edge of Clayoquot Sound....
(Tofino AirportTofino AirportTofino/Long Beach Airport, , is located southeast of Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.It is used by private and small commercial planes. Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer, complicating access by air until the weather clears. Several IFR approaches are available including GPS...
) - Nanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
(Nanaimo AirportNanaimo AirportNanaimo Airport, , is located south southeast of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
)
- Abbotsford, British Columbia
- United States
- SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
(Seattle-Tacoma International AirportSeattle-Tacoma International AirportThe Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5...
) (connection with Horizon AirHorizon AirHorizon Air Industries, Inc. is a regional low-cost airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States. It is the eighth largest regional airline in the USA, serving 52 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico....
, seasonal)
- Seattle
Fleet
As of September 2011 the fleet consists of:- 18 Piper PA-31 NavajoPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
- 1 Beechcraft King AirBeechcraft King AirThe Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
- 1 Beechcraft Super King AirBeechcraft Super King AirThe Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...