PAL Airlines


PAL Airlines is a Canadian regional airline with headquarters at St. John's International Airport in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. PAL operates scheduled passenger, cargo, air ambulance and charter services. PAL is the commercial airline arm of the PAL Group of Companies. In addition to its head office, it also has bases in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and Montreal. PAL is the second largest regional airline operator in Eastern Canada next to Jazz Aviation.

History

The airline was established in August 1974 as a flight training and charter operator. Scheduled airline operations began in 1980. In the 1980s, the company also developed its airborne maritime surveillance division, which operated until 1989 as Atlantic Airways. In 1988, it acquired Eastern Flying Service. From 1995 to 1997 it used the brand Interprovincial Airlines to operate scheduled regional airline services in a commercial agreement with Air Nova. The Provincial Airlines brand was restored in 1997 to enhance network growth and focus on regional air transprot needs. In 1988 PAL Airlines joined with the Innu Development Limited Partnership, to establish Innu Mikun Airlines, which grew to be the largest Labrador based air carrier providing charter services throughout Labrador and scheduled airline services to coastal Labrador communities Labrador.. In 2017 PAL Airlines, Innu Development LP, and NGC Nunatsiavut established Air Borealis through a merger of Innu Mikun Airlines and Air Labrador to enhance indigenous aviation, expand and improve regional transportation infrastructure, and foster community economic growth.
in 2010
In its early years, the company operated light aircraft such as the Piper Navajo and the Britten-Norman Islander around Atlantic Canada. In 1988 the company introduced Fairchild Metroliners, initially for courier services and in 1989 in scheduled passenger services, eventually building one of the larger Metro fleets through the success of the aircraft in building regional air passenger traffic. From 1996-98 it operated a Convair 580 for courier and cargo services. In 1995 the first DHC-6 Twin Otters were purchased for services in Labrador. In 2001, PAL took the delivery of its first Saab 340 aircraft. This meant that PAL Airlines had become a 705 carrier, as per Transport Canada Canadian Aviation Regulations, which meant that the first class of flight attendants were trained at this time. The airline added to its 705 fleet three years later when the company was awarded the VALE Inc. contract for the Voisey's Bay Mine in Labrador. This contract required the use of de-Havilland Dash 8's which began to arrive in 2004. Provincial eventually added more Dash 8's as part of the airline's scheduled air service.
On 12 March 2009, one of PAL Aerospace's Maritime Patrol Aircraft was first on the scene of Cougar Helicopters Flight 91's ditching, flying "top cover" until other help could arrive, leading to the rescue of the sole survivor.
Between 2011 and 2012, the company was divided into two companies. Remaining under the same ownership, two separate companies were formed: Provincial Aerospace and Provincial Airlines. Provincial Aerospace has always been the parent company and, up until recently, consisted of the Maritime Surveillance divisions in Canada, Curaçao and the United Arab Emirates. During the split, both of Provincial's Cessna Citation jets, and the charter and MEDIVAC King Airs in Halifax were moved over to the aerospace division. Anything considered a speciality service became aerospace. Provincial Airlines was then left with its fleet of 704 and 705 aircraft which now consists of Twin Otters, a Metroliner, and Dash-8's at 4 bases in St. John's, Halifax, Goose Bay and Montreal. Provincial undertook an internal shift of staff and management.
On February 19, 2014 it was announced that Provincial Airlines was awarded a 4-year contract to be the air service provider for Nalcor Energy on the Lower Churchill Project.
In November 2014, the company was purchased by Exchange Income Corporation, a Toronto Stock Exchange -listed stock that owns regional airlines and several manufacturing companies, for a combination of cash and stock worth about $246 million.

Bases and operations

PAL Airlines bases

Halifax Stanfield International Airport: PAL operates one hangar in Halifax, which houses a Dash 8. This hangar is shared with the Aerospace Division and its aircraft as well. PAL also operates an Esso Avitat FBO at this hangar. The hangar also has management offices and a crew room.
Goose Bay Airport: Goose Bay is home to PAL Airlines Twin Otter operation under the name of Air Borealis. PAL owns two hangars in Goose Bay. Hangar 14 houses the aircraft groomers, aircraft maintenance for Twin Otters, crew room and dispatch. Hangar 18 in Goose Bay houses the Voisey's Bay check-in desk for the daily charter the Dash 8 provides to Voisey's Bay Aerodrome at the Voisey's Bay mine in Voisey's Bay, northern Labrador. PAL Cargo, Air Borealis charters and management offices are also in Hangar 18.
Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport: PAL Airlines operates from the Starlink Aviation hangar at Montreal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport. The hangar houses Dash 8s for scheduled and charter service throughout Quebec.

PAL Aerospace bases

PAL Airlines offers cargo service to all of its destinations. St. John's and Goose Bay each operate a full cargo facility. The Metroliner is PAL's dedicated cargo aircraft and operate daily cargo flights throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The Twin Otters also are used for cargo flights along the Labrador Coast. For destinations in the Maritimes and Quebec, cargo is moved on scheduled flights. The Dash 8-100's are also capable of being converted to fly as a passenger/cargo combination.

Charters

Provincial Aerospace has three aircraft dedicated to charters. The aircraft in the PAL Airlines fleet are also often used for larger charters. PAL has flown charters all over North America and to Africa. Air Borealis also has its own charter division which flies charters along the coast of Labrador and Northern Quebec and specializes in off-strip charters and float operations.

Destinations

PAL Airlines serves 22 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec as of August 2019.
As of June 2020 the following aircraft are listed by Transport Canada as being registered to PAL Airlines and PAL Aerospace:
AircraftNo. of aircraftVariantsNotes
Beechcraft 190021900D19 passengers, PAL Airlines
Beechcraft Super King Air11Model 200, Model B200, Model B300All are registered to PAL Aerospace
Cessna Citation II1S550Registered to PAL Aerospace
Cessna Citation X1750VIP charter aircraft, registered to PAL Aerospace
Dassault Falcon 9001900EXRegistered to PAL Aerospace
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver1Mk 3Registered to PAL Aerospace
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter7Series 300All registered to Air Borealis LP.
De Havilland Canada Dash 8101 102, 3 106, 4 311, 2 315Two of the DHC-8-106's and one 315 are operated by PAL Aerospace and all other DHC-8's operated by PAL Airlines.
Gulfstream G2801Registered to PAL Aerospace

The Transport Canada list also shows a Beech 200 registered to PAL Aerospace, two DHC-6 Twin Otter and a Dash 8 operated by PAL Airlines with cancelled certificates.

Retired fleet