Rise Air

Rise Air is a scheduled and charter airline primarily serving the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Its headquarters and main base was at Prince Albert.

For the defunct Australian airline, see Transwest Airlines. For the defunct American airline, see Transwestern Airlines.

Rise Air
A Beechcraft 1900 at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International, with the airline's old name and logo
IATA CDD Callsign
- RS[1] RISE AIR[1]
Founded2021[2]
AOC #12508[3]
HubsPrince Albert (Glass Field) Airport
Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Secondary hubsStony Rapids Airport
Fond-du-Lac Airport
Wollaston Lake Airport (charter base)
Focus citiesSaskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Fleet size35[4]
Destinations8[5]
HeadquartersPrince Albert, Saskatchewan
Key people
  • Derek Nice (President / CEO)
  • Rick Philipenko (VP Finance)
  • Tracy Young-McLean (VP Operations & Human Resources)
Employees300
Websiteriseair.ca

Rise Air, a First Nations owned airline, was formed in 2021 by the merger of Transwest Airlines and West Wind Aviation. Transwest Airlines, was formed by the merger La Ronge Aviation, and Athabaska Airways. The company offered not only scheduled passenger services, but fishing charters, surveying work, forest fire fighting, and medevac operations.[2]

Rise Air's equipment includes a number of bush planes and helicopters, and four Saab 340 regional turboprop airliners. The company also operates La Ronge Water Aerodrome, Stony Rapids Water Aerodrome, and Southend/Hans Ulricksen Field Aerodrome. Rise Air also has maintenance bases in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Stony Rapids. Transwest Air was bought by West Wind Aviation on June 30, 2016.

In January 2021, it was announced that West Wind Aviation would be merged with Transwest Air, and would be renamed Rise Air.[6]

History

The company was founded by Floyd Glass, who learned to fly in the late 1930s, then served as a military flying training instructor during the Second World War. Postwar, he was the first general manager of the provincial Crown corporation Saskatchewan Government Airways. He resigned from this post, flew briefly with British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Airways, then returned to Saskatchewan and in 1955 formed his own firm, Athabaska Airways, which later existed under the name "Transwest Air". Glass died in 1999. In June 2016, West Wind Aviation put forward a letter of intent to purchase Transwest Air. The company became a subsidiary of West Wind Aviation on July 1, 2016.

In January 2021, it was announced West Wind Aviation would be merged with Transwest Air and be renamed Rise Air.[6]

Passenger services

As of July 2023, Rise Air offers scheduled flights to and from:[5]

Country Province/territory City Airport Notes
Canada Saskatchewan Fond du Lac Dene Nation Fond-du-Lac Airport Hub (secondary)
La Ronge La Ronge (Barber Field) Airport
Points North Landing Points North Landing Airport
Prince Albert Prince Albert (Glass Field) Airport Hub
Saskatoon Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport Focus city
Stony Rapids Stony Rapids Airport Hub (secondary)
Uranium City Uranium City Airport
Wollaston Lake Wollaston Lake Airport Hub (secondary)

Fleet

As of August 2023, Rise Air had 35[4] aircraft registered with Transport Canada.

Current fleet
Transwest Air fleet
AircraftNumberVariantsPassengers[7]Notes
Aérospatiale ATR 4263 - ATR 42-300
1 - ATR 42-320
2 - ATR 42-500		44Turboprop
Beechcraft 190041900D19Can be configured for cargo.
Beechcraft Super King Air109 - B200
1 - B300		8Medevac configuration[8]
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver1MK. I6Wheels, skis or floats, not listed at Rise Air[7]
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter81 - Series 100
4 - Series 200
3 - Series 300		14Wheels, skis or floats[8]
Piper PA-31 Navajo3PA-31-350 Chieftain7Not listed at Rise Air[7]
Saab 34031 - 340A
2 - 340B		34
Total 35

Former fleet

Transwest used to operate British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 twin turboprop aircraft, the Beechcraft Model 99, the Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Travel Air, Cessna 441 Conquest II and the Mitsubishi MU-2.[9]

References
  1. "Domestic Designator and Telephony Assignments" (PDF). Nav Canada. February 10, 2023. p. 2. Retrieved July 25, 2023. Rise Air: RS, RISE AIR
  2. "ise Air: Strong roots, First Nations owned, and proudly serving the north". Northern Prospector. September 13, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  3. Transport Canada (July 20, 2023), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  4. "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Transwest Air". Transport Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  5. "Flight Schedules". Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  6. "Two northern Saskatchewan airlines rebrand, consolidate to 'stay alive'". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  7. "Transwest Air Fleet". Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  8. "Charters". Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  9. "CCAR - History Search Result - Transwest Air Historical Fleet". April 28, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
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