Voyageur Airways began operations in the early 1970s as a charter airline operating out of Ottawa, Canada. Owned by a handful of local investors, Voyageur Airways provided charter flights to destinations throughout North America, as well as other parts of the world. The airline was originally known as Voyageur Air Services, but changed its name to Voyageur Airways in 1978.
Voyageur Airways’ original fleet consisted of a few small aircraft such as the Cessna 402 and the Piper Navajo. As the airline grew in popularity, it began to acquire larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 737, which allowed it to expand its operations to include more destinations. By the late 1980s, Voyageur Airways had become one of the largest charter airlines in Canada, operating more than 50 aircraft.
The first major milestone for Voyageur Airways came in 1987 when it was awarded the contract to operate the government-sponsored Air Canada Express service. This contract allowed Voyageur Airways to expand its operations to include flights from major Canadian cities to smaller regional destinations.
Voyageur Airways also began to expand its fleet during this period, adding several turboprop aircraft such as the ATR42 and ATR72. These aircraft were used to provide regional service to smaller airports, as well as to provide additional capacity for Air Canada Express.
In 1997, Voyageur Airways was acquired by Air Canada. This acquisition allowed Voyageur Airways to expand its fleet to include larger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 767. These aircraft allowed the airline to begin offering regular scheduled service to destinations throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean.
In 2003, Voyageur Airways became the first Canadian charter airline to receive an IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). This certification allowed the airline to offer regular scheduled service to destinations in Europe and the Caribbean, as well as to countries in South America and Asia.
Voyageur Airways also began to expand its fleet during this period, adding aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330. These aircraft allowed the airline to expand its operations to include long-haul international flights.
In 2017, Voyageur Airways experienced its first major incident when one of its Airbus A320 aircraft experienced an engine fire while taxiing on the runway in Toronto. Thankfully, the fire was quickly extinguished and no passengers or crew were injured. The incident was later determined to have been caused by a bird strike, and Voyageur Airways was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Voyageur Airways continues to operate as a charter airline, offering flights to destinations throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. The airline is currently owned by Air Canada and operates a fleet of over 60 aircraft, including turboprops, regional jets, and widebody aircraft.
Comments