Air Tindi

Air Tindi is an airline based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. It operates scheduled and on demand charter services. Its main base is Yellowknife Airport and the airline was previously owned by the Arychuk family.[6] The name Tindi means "the big lake" or "Great Slave Lake" in the local native Tłı̨chǫ Yatiì language.

Air Tindi
An Air Tindi Dash 7 on approach into Yellowknife, NT (CYZF)
IATA ICAO Callsign
8T TIN[1] TINDI[1]
Founded1988
AOC #3169[2]
HubsYellowknife Airport
Fort Simpson Airport
Fleet size27,[3] 17+[4]
Destinations7[5]
HeadquartersYellowknife, Northwest Territories
Key peopleChris Reynolds (president)
Websitehttp://www.airtindi.com

History
Air Tindi airplane operating in winter
View of three Air Tindi, Twin Otter airplanes, Yellowknife

Air Tindi was established by two families, Alex Arychuk and his wife Sheila, and his brother Peter Arychuk and his wife Teri.[7] 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.[6] By mid-1992, Air Tindi was operating four Twin Otters on floats. In 1993, its first large aircraft was purchased, a DHC 4 Caribou for re-supply work with the mining industry. A DHC Dash 7 was acquired in 1996.

On 19 December 2006, Air Tindi was sold to Discovery Air (TSX at DA.A), a publicly traded holding company based in London, Ontario.[8] The 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.[9]

In August 2011 the Government of Nunavut announced that it had awarded a contract to Air Tindi and its partner Aqsaqniq, owned by Dennis Lyall, to provide medivac services to the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. The previous holder of the contract, Adlair Aviation, appealed to the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti[10] and a decision was expected by 11 October 2011.[11][12] The decision to dismiss the appeal was made 29 October 2011 and the news released 31 October. Adlair was given an extension on their contract until the end of November 2011.[13]

Destinations

Air Tindi operates services to the following domestic scheduled destinations (as of November 2021):[5]

Fleet
A Tindi Dash 7 at Vancouver International Airport

As of November 2021, Air Tindi had the following aircraft registered with Transport Canada and listed with Air Tindi:[3][4]

Air Tindi fleet
AircraftNo. of aircraft
(TC list)		No. of aircraft
(AT list)		VariantsNotes
Beechcraft Super King Air63+Model 200 & 200GT, Model B300Air Tindi lists 3 King Air 250 (200GT, 200CGT)[14] and 1 King Air 200[15]
Cessna 20811208 Caravan7 passengers[16]
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter11DHC-3-T Turbo-OtterNot listed at Air Tindi. Up to 8 passengers depending on cargo[17]
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter65 or 8Series 30019 passengers[18]
Dash 7115DHC-7-102, DHC-7-103Combi aircraft, 46 passengers[19]
Total 27 17+

The Transport Canada site lists two de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter with cancelled certificates.[3]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 4 October 2011, a Tindi owned Cessna Caravan en route from Yellowknife Airport to Lutselk'e Airport 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.[20][21][22]
  • On 30 January 2019, A Tindi King Air 200 was en route from Yellowknife to Gamètì/Rae Lakes Airport in instrument meteorological conditions, and crashed east of the community of Whati. The two crew and sole occupants were fatally injured. The investigation determined that both attitude indicators had failed, one prior to departure and one in-flight.
  • On 1 November 2021, a Tindi Twin Otter en route from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson Airport ran out of fuel, and was forced to make a landing on muskeg 14 kilometres from Fort Providence Aerodrome. All five occupants, consisting of three passengers and two pilots, survived the landing and were rescued four hours after. The investigation found that the captain incorrectly assumed that the plane was refuelled in Yellowknife due to a fuel slip from three days prior being observed on the door, and was interrupted during the "Before Start" checklist, resulting in the fuel quantity check to be missed.[23]

References
  1. "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 2023-05-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-24. Air Tindi: TIN, TINDI
  2. Transport Canada (30 August 2019), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  3. "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Air Tindi". Transport Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. Our Fleet
  5. Flight Schedules
  6. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 67.
  7. "One on One: Alex Arychuk" Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, Darren Locke, Wings magazine.
  8. Discovery Air Inc. Closes Private Placement Offering and Acquisition of Air Tindi Ltd.
  9. "Things Fall Apart: Discovery Air" Archived 2010-01-27 at the Wayback Machine, Jack Danylchuk, Up Here Business magazine, July 2009
  10. Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti
  11. Adlair fights GN decision on Kitikmeot medevac contract 6 September 2011
  12. Facing an uncertain future, Adlair puts up brave front 3 October 2011
  13. "Adlair Aviation Ltd. loses medevac contract appeal". Archived from the original on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  14. King Air 250
  15. King Air 200
  16. 208 Caravan
  17. DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter
  18. DHC-6 Twin Otter
  19. Dash 7
  20. N.W.T. plane crash kills 2 people
  21. "Two dead in small plane crash in Northwest Territories, two others survive". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2011-10-05.
  22. "Controlled Flight into Terrain Air Tindi Ltd". Transportation Safety Board.
  23. "Fuel Starvation Air Tindi Ltd". Transportation Safety Board.
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