| Airline: | Grand Canyon Airlines |
| Fleet Size: | 21 |
| Destinations: | 4 |
| Iata: | YR |
| Icao: | CVU |
| Callsign: | CANYON VIEW |
| Commenced: | October 3, 1927 |
| Aoc: | GCNA035A[1] |
| Num Employees: | 600 |
| Headquarters: | Tusayan, Arizona, U.S. |
Grand Canyon Airlines is a 14 CFR Part 135 air carrier headquartered on the grounds of Boulder City Municipal Airport in Boulder City, Nevada, United States. It also has bases at Grand Canyon National Park Airport and Page Municipal Airport, both in Arizona.[2] It operates sightseeing tours and charter service over and around the Grand Canyon. Its headquarters and main operation center is Grand Canyon National Park Airport and Boulder City Municipal Airport.[3] The company slogan is With Grand Canyon Airlines, Your Memories are Cleared for Takeoff!
The airline is owned by Elling Halvorson and had 600 employees as of October 2019.[3] Grand Canyon Airlines introduced commercial airline service to Boulder City Airport (predecessor to the contemporary airport) on June 15, 1936.[4]
The airline was started in 1927 as Scenic Airways by J. Parker Van Zandt at Grand Canyon, Arizona with a Stinson SM-1 Detroiter and Ford Trimotor aircraft. On February 23, 1929, the opening day of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Scenic Airways dropped a wooden key on the roof of the hotel's ballroom. The key is on display above the fireplace of the Biltmore History Room.[5]
Scenic Airways changed its name to Grand Canyon Airlines in 1930, and Grand Canyon Airlines is believed to be the world's oldest air tour company in continuous operations.
Two Grand Canyon Airlines pilots were the first to spot the wreckage left by the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision, between United and TWA aircraft. Pilots Henry and Palin Hudgen had been flying a scheduled service around the area at the time.[6]
On March 29, 2007, Scenic Airlines was sold to Grand Canyon Airlines and was subsequently renamed Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines. The airline continued to operate from the Boulder City airport providing services to Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon, Page, Arizona, Monument Valley, Utah, and Rainbow Bridge, Utah. At that time, Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines continued to operate sightseeing flight services to the Grand Canyon every day of the year.
On March 19, 2009 Grand Canyon Airlines moved its operations at the Boulder City airport into the company's new Boulder City Aerocenter, a 30000square feet terminal.[7]
| City | Airport | IATA Code | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | ||||
| Grand Canyon West | Grand Canyon West Airport | GCW | Boulder City | |
| Grand Canyon South | Grand Canyon National Park Airport | GCN | Suspended | |
| Page | Page Municipal Airport | PGA | Suspended | |
| Nevada | ||||
| Boulder City | Boulder City Municipal Airport | BLD | Grand Canyon West | |
| Grand Canyon South | Suspended | |||
| Page | Suspended | |||
the Grand Canyon Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[8]
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter[9] | 13 | |
| Cessna 208B Caravan[10] | 8 |