note
Airline was founded in 1947 by Milt Ashton and Roy Brown as an air taxi operator serving the wilderness of Manitoba. Company was called Central Northern Airways. The name Transair was introduced in 1956 after company took over Arctic Wings - similar operation based in Ottawa. Airline used C-47s, DC-4s, Avro Yorks, DHC Beavers, Norsmen, Cansas and Cessna aircraft. Lead by RCAF WWII pilot and at one time state treasurer Ron Turner, airline grew steadily taking over Pacific Westerns unprofitable routes in Manitoba. In 1961, Transair become one of the contractors for Distant Early Warning system of US Air Force in Canadian arctic. In 1968, Transair purchased its first turboprop aircraft -Japanese made NAMC YS-11. Transair also become feeder carrier for both CP Air and Air Canada. In 1970, Boeing 737-200s were introduced and together with Boeing 707 (ex Northwest Orient) which entered fleet in 1974, Transair was operating charter flights to the Caribbean and Europe, Florida and Hawaii. Because of rising fuel prices, Transair found itself in large debt by 1976. It had to sold its 707 to Biman to settle its most urgent debt. Pacific Western purchased Transair in May 1977 and provided it with much needed cash. Transair continued to lose money and was absorbed into Pacific Western by the of 1979 after it Transair turned over its Ontario routes to Nordair to preserved Air Canada's and CP Air's duopoly on transcontinental flights.
founded - demised (age)
1947 - December 1 1979 (32)
headquarters
, Winnipeg
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base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
