 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Commenced operations | 1947 (1947) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1986 (1986) | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | SeeFleet below | ||||||
| Destinations | 27 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada | ||||||
Quebecair was a Canadian airline that operated from 1947 until 1986. Quebecair was headquartered inSaint-Laurent, Quebec, now a part ofMontreal.[1]
Quebecair began asRimouski Airlines in 1947 and flew under that name until it merged withGulf Aviation in 1953 under the name Quebec-Air. The aircraft in operation at the time were theBeech 18, thede Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and theDouglas DC-3. Operations were mainly based inQuebec andMontreal was added in 1957. Eventually the latter city became the operating base for Quebecair.
In 1958 a fire in a hangar destroyed three DC-3s andFairchild F-27 turboprop aircraft were then purchased to replace the destroyed aircraft. The F-27 propjets proved to be very successful. As operations increased, the company introduced a new, larger aircraft in the form of theConvair CV-540 turboprop, which were put on the main route between Montreal and Quebec. In later years, Quebecair also operated theConvair 580 turboprop.
During the 1960s, the company took over various airlines asMatane Air Service,Northern Wings,RoyalAir[2] andNorthern Wings Helicopter in 1965.[3] The increase in operations brought the introduction of the first jet aircraft, theBritish Aircraft CorporationBAC One-Eleven, which were put into use on theMontreal -Toronto route in 1969.
The company took overAir Gaspé in 1973 and acquired more northern routes. In 1974 it bought twoBoeing 707s for charter work and also aBoeing 727-100 aircraft. It conducted charter flights to destinations inFlorida, theCaribbean, Europe andHawaii. Charter flights were discontinued in 1979 and the 707s were sold off. According to the February 1976 and November 1979Official Airline Guides (OAG), Quebecair operated the Boeing 727-100 jetliner in scheduled passenger operations between Montreal, Quebec City and other destinations in Quebec andNewfoundland provinces.[4]
By 1981 the financial conditions in Quebecair had become difficult. All aircraft models except for the Fairchild F-27 turboprops and BAC One-Eleven jets were sold. This was a difficult time for Quebecair and other airlines. It did not introduce theBoeing 737-200 until 1982 when the 737s began replacing the BAC One-Elevens. The 111's were gone by 1985.
In 1984 Quebecair leased twoDouglas DC-8-63s for transatlantic charter flights, but these stretched Super DC-8s were not operated very long and merged withRegionair.[5] According to the October 1985 Quebecair timetable, the airline was operating scheduled passenger flights on two international routes, being Montreal-Boston and Quebec City-New York City.
1985 was a very difficult year for Quebecair as the airline industry in Canada was restructuring. The financial situation at the carrier forced the Quebec government (which had owned the airline for several years) to sell the company toCP Air in July 1986. In continuing consolidation involving several other Canadian air carriers,Pacific Western Airlines notably purchased and took over CP Air, which then becameCanadian Airlines International in 1987.[6]
The 1980 route map lists the following Canadian destinations being served:
And in the United States:
Jet aircraft
Turboprop aircraft
Piston aircraft
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (Subscription required to view full article)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
