Air Tindi
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| Founded | 1988 | |||
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| Hubs | Yellowknife Airport Fort Simpson Airport |
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| Fleet size | 23,[1] 24[2] | |||
| Destinations | 6 | |||
| Parent company | Discovery Air | |||
| Headquarters | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories | |||
| Key people | Peter Arychuk (CEO and President) | |||
| Website | http://www.airtindi.com | |||
Air Tindi is an airline based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Now owned by Discovery Air, it operates scheduled and on demand charter services. Its main base is Yellowknife Airport and the airline was formerly owned by the Arychuk family.[3] The name Tindi means "the big lake" or "Great Slave Lake", in the local native Tłı̨chǫ Yatiì language.
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[edit] History
Air Tindi was established by two families, Alex Arychuk and his wife Sheila, and his brother Peter Arychuk and his wife Teri.[4] It began operations on 1 November 1988, with four float/ski aircraft. In 1990, it purchased its first De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter with the help of the Rae-Edzo Development Corporation, allowing the airline to expand and provide more services to the growing mining exploration industry. In 1991, Air Tindi merged with Latham Island Airways and acquired a further four aircraft in the process.[3] By mid-1992, Air Tindi was operating four Twin Otters on floats. In 1993, their first large aircraft, a DHC 4 Caribou for re-supply work with the mining industry, was purchased. A DHC Dash 7 was acquired in 1996.
On 19 December 2006, Air Tindi sold to Discovery Air (TSX at DA.A), a publicly traded holding company based in London, Ontario.[5] The original founders originally maintained their positions with Air Tindi, but various corporate disagreements led to Alex Arychuk leaving as president, and departing the Discovery Air board.[6]
In August 2011 the Government of Nunavut announced that it had awarded a contract to Air Tindi, along with its partner Arsaniq owned by Dennis Lyall, to provide medivac services to the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. The current holder of the contract, Adlair Aviation, has appealed to the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti[7] and a decision was expected by 11 October 2011.[8][9] The decision to dismiss the appeal was made 29 October 2011 and the news released 31 October. Adlair were given an extension on their contract until the end of November 2011.[10]
[edit] Destinations
Air Tindi operates services (subject to traffic demand) to the following domestic scheduled destinations (as of November 2010):[11]
- Fort Simpson (Fort Simpson Airport)
- Gamèti (Gamètì/Rae Lakes Airport)
- Lutselk'e (Lutselk'e Airport)
- Wekweeti (Wekweètì Airport)
- Whatì (Whatì Airport)
- Yellowknife (Yellowknife Airport)
[edit] Fleet
As of November 2010, Air Tindi had the following aircraft registered with Transport Canada and listed with Air Tindi:[1][2]
| Aircraft | Number (TC list)[2] |
Number (Tindi list)[1] |
Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech 1900 | 1 | 1 | 1900D | 19 passengers |
| Beechcraft Super King Air | 5 | 6 | Series 200/B200C/CATPASS | air ambulance/MEDEVAC 9 passengers, gravel runway |
| Cessna 185 | 3 | 2 | A185F | 3 passengers |
| Cessna 208 | 4 | 4 | Caravan, Grand Caravan | 9 passengers (Grand Caravan), 7 passengers (Caravan) |
| Turbo Otter | 2 | 1 | 9 passengers, off-strip | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 6 | 6 | Series 200/300 | 19 passengers/freighter, off-strip |
| de Havilland Canada Dash 7 | 3 | 3 | Series 102/103 | 46 passengers/cargo, combi, ice/gravel runway |
[edit] Accidents and incidents
On 4 October 2011, a Tindi owned Cessna Caravan en-route from Yellowknife to Lutselk'e crashed about 25 km (16 mi) west of the community. There were, including the pilot, four people on the aircraft and two were reported killed. The condition of the two survivors was not disclosed but they had been sent to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife.[12][13]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Air Tindi Quick Fleet Reference
- ^ a b c Transport Canada listing of aircraft owned by "Air Tindi" (enter Air Tindi in the box titled "Owner Name")
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 67. 2007-03-27.
- ^ "One on One: Alex Arychuk", Darren Locke, Wings magazine.
- ^ Discovery Air Inc. Closes Private Placement Offering and Acquisition of Air Tindi Ltd.
- ^ "Things Fall Apart: Discovery Air", Jack Danylchuk, Up Here Business magazine, July 2009
- ^ Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti
- ^ Adlair fights GN decision on Kitikmeot medevac contract 6 September 2011
- ^ Facing an uncertain future, Adlair puts up brave front 3 October 2011
- ^ Adlair Aviation Ltd. loses medevac contract appeal
- ^ Flight Schedule
- ^ N.W.T. plane crash kills 2 people
- ^ Two dead in small plane crash in Northwest Territories, two others survive
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Air Tindi |
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