VOYAGEUR AIRWAYS, LTD.: P. O. Box 1734, CFB North Bay, Hornell Heights, Ontario, P0H 1P0, Canada; Phone (705) 476-1750; Fax (705) 476-6773; Http://www. voyageurairways. com; Code 4V; Year Founded 1983. Voyageur is founded by Max Shapiro at North Bay, Sudbury, Ontario in 1983 and equipped with 2 Saunders ST-27s purchased from, respectively, Air Atonabee, Ltd. and Northward, Ltd. In the spring of 1984, Canadian government permission is received to commence scheduled passenger and cargo flights to Toronto Island Airport. Because of difficulties at TIA, the company is authorized to begin its revenue flights to Toronto in July. In the fall, flights are started—then stopped—between Toronto and Windsor.
The Sudbury terminus is extended in January 1985 to Marathon and Manitouwadge. During the summer, a cooperative agreement is signed with NorOntair, Ltd. to connect at Ottawa. The following year, another Saunders is purchased, from Northward, Ltd., as is a Beech King Air 100. These are employed, beginning in April, to launch direct Sudbury to Ottawa service. Ottawa to Rouyn and Val d’Or service is initiated in July. Six months later, in December, flights begin from Marathon to Sudbury, North Bay, and Montreal.
The fleet is further expanded in 1987 by the addition of Piper PA-31T Cheyennes and Beech Super King Air 200s. These assist in the opening of new routes, purchased from City Express, Ltd., linking Toronto with Montreal via Peterborough and Ottawa. By 1989, the fleet has been expanded to include 10 Beech King Air 100s, 1 Super King Air 200, 1 Piper PA-31-310 Navajo, and 3 PA-31T Cheyennes. When service to Elliott Lake, Ontario, is suspended by Air Ontario, Inc. on April 2, it passes to Voyageur the same day.
Operations continue apace in 1990-1992 and in 1993-1994 two Cessna 501 Citations and a de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 are acquired. Asecond DHC-7-102 arrives in 1995, but late in 1996, when the new Colorado-based charter operator Maverick Airways (2) elects to begin scheduled services, both Dash-7s are leased to it. Maverick lasts only a short period and so the DHCs are returned; in 1997 they are joined by a third. The fleet also contains 10 Beech King Air 100s, 2 Cessna 501 Citations, and 1 Super King Air 200. The King Air complement is changed by year’s end to include 9 King Air 100s and 2 Super King Air 200s.
On June 17, 1998, the company signs an “Air Canada Connector” contract with the major. Under its terms, which will take effect in September, the regional will acquire a fleet of 10 Beech 1900Ds, painted in modified Air Canada, Ltd. colors. Employing Air Canada tickets, it will then operate services from its North Bay base, as well as Toronto, to new local markets in southern Ontario and the Northeast U. S. considered as too uneconomical to receive service from DHC-8s. Voyageur will also provide off-peak service on existing Air Canada routes.
With sufficient Beech 1900Ds on hand and a new marketing name Air Connexion chosen, Voyageur Airways, Ltd., on behalf of Air Canada, prepares to inaugurate nonstop roundtrips on September 20. The first city-pair selected for visits is Toronto and Syracuse, with four daily nonstop roundtrips to be offered during the week and three nonstop roundtrips on both Saturday and Sunday. Unhappily, the new service is cancelled before it is started.
World History
