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| Founded | 1998 | ||||||
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| AOC # | 782[2] | ||||||
| Operating bases | Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport[3] | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Churchill Airport, Thompson Airport, Cambridge Bay Airport, Igloolik Airport, Iqaluit Airport, Rankin Inlet Airport, Yellowknife Airport[3] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 25,[4] 9 (min)[5] | ||||||
| Parent company | Exchange Income Corporation | ||||||
| Headquarters | Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada[3] | ||||||
| Website | https://www.keewatinair.ca/ | ||||||
Keewatin Air (IATA: FK) is an airline that operates fromWinnipeg,Manitoba, Canada.[3] The airline was started by Frank Robert May (who had been a pilot forLamb Air) and his wife Judy Saxby in 1971, in theKeewatin Region, then part of theNorthwest Territories.[6]
It was formed as "Keewatin Air Limited" to provide charter services to the region. It was the first airline to have a permanent base in Nunavut (then known as the Keewatin Region of the Northwest Territories). In 1987 it expanded to includemedical evacuation (MEDEVAC) services, to what would become theKivalliq Region, using a fleet of aircraft that began with a Tradewind aircraft - a multi-modifiedBeech 18 with aturbine engine andtricycle gear. This aircraft was followed by a Westwind, another modified Beech 18 with turbine engines and eventually these were replaced byMerlin IIA aircraft that had the added benefit of being pressurized and had turboprops. The MEDEVAC service is now known as "Nunavut Lifeline".[7] Currently[when?] threeKingair 200 aircraft are based in Rankin Inlet, one inChurchill, Manitoba. and two in Iqaluit, where the airline also bases aLear 35 for the long hauls toOttawa and aPilatus PC-12 to access the short strips.
In 1998 the company formedKivalliq Air to provide scheduled air service within the Kivalliq Region and to Winnipeg and Churchill.[8] That service has since been cancelled.
In 2005 the company was sold to Exchange Industrial Income Fund (now Exchange Income Corporation), owners ofPerimeter Aviation,Bearskin Airlines andCalm Air. May and Saxby continued to manage the airline for a short period after the sale.[9]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022) |
Charter services are available to destinations throughout North America.[10]
As of February 2011 the following 24 aircraft were registered withTransport Canada and at least 9 listed with Keewatin Air.[5][4]
| Aircraft | No. of aircraft Keewatin | No. of aircraft TC | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft Super King Air | 7 | 19 | King Air 200/B200 | 12 are listed under thetrade name Kivalliq Air Nunavut Lifeline.MEDIVAC (air ambulance). Four are listed asModel 200 and fifteen asModel B200 |
| Cessna Citation V | n/a | 4 | Model 560,Model 560 Ultra | 7-8 passengers. Not on Keewatin site. |
| Pilatus PC-12 | n/a | 2 | PC-12/45 | air charter |
Keewatin Air: KEW, BLIZZARD
