| Airline: | Air BC Ltd. |
| Iata: | ZX |
| Icao: | ABL |
| Callsign: | AIRCOACH |
| Hubs: | Vancouver International Airport |
| Frequent Flyer: | Aeroplan |
| Parent: | Air Canada |
| Headquarters: | Richmond, British Columbia, Canada |
Air BC was a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.[1] It later became part of Air Canada Jazz. This regional airline primarily flew turboprop aircraft but also operated jets as well as an Air Canada Connector carrier on behalf of Air Canada via a code share feeder agreement.
Air BC was established in 1980 after the merger (by the Jim Pattison Group) of a number of west coast domestic airlines: Calumet Air Service, Canadian Air Transit, Flight Operation, Gulf Air Aviation, Haida Airlines, Island Airlines, Omineca Air Services, Pacific Coast Air Services and West Coast Air Services. A combined fleet emerged, including STOL capable de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters with some Twin Otters being operated as float planes. In 1983, STOL capable DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop aircraft were delivered and then in 1986 DHC-8 Dash 8-100 turboprops were acquired.
In 1987, Air Canada purchased 85% of Air BC, and Air BC became an Air Canada regional partner operating as Air Canada Connector. Air BC entered the jet age in 1988 with British Aerospace BAe 146-200 aircraft which was the only jetliner type ever operated by the air carrier. In 1994, the airline was operating British Aerospace Jetstream 31 propjets as part of their Air Canada Connector code share feeder services. Stretched DHC-8 Dash 8-300 turboprop aircraft were introduced as well. In March 1995, Air Canada purchased the remaining shares of Air BC.
In January 2001, a newly merged carrier called Air Canada Regional Inc was established. A wholly owned subsidiary of Air Canada, this company combined the individual strengths of five regional airlines – Air BC, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Alliance and Canadian Regional Airlines. Consolidation of these five companies was completed in 2002 and was marked by the launch of a new name and brand: Air Canada Jazz.
Air BC served the following destinations in the fall of 1991 in Canada and the U.S. according to the Air BC – Air Canada Connector November 3, 1991, system timetable route map;[2] by 1999, Air BC had expanded its Air Canada Connector service and was flying BAe 146-200 jet service nonstop between Edmonton and Denver.[3] In 2001, Air BC was operating Air Canada Connector service with its BAe 146-200 jets nonstop to Denver from Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.[4]
Air BC operated the following aircraft:[5] [6]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAe 146-100 | 1 | 1980 | 2002 | |
| BAe 146-200 | 7 | 1988 | 2001 | |
| BAe Jetstream 31 | ||||
| Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander | ||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 8 | 1980 | 1996 | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 | ||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 | 15 | 1985 | 2002 | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8 | 6 | 1990 | 2002 | |
United States