Rise Air

"Transwest Air" redirects here. For the defunct Australian airline, see Transwest Airlines. For the defunct American airline, see Transwestern Airlines.

Rise Air is a scheduled and charter airline primarily serving the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Its headquarters and main base are in Saskatoon.

Rise Air

A Beechcraft 1900 at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International, with the airline's old name and logo
IATA CDD Call sign 4T RS[1] RISE AIR[1]
Founded	2021[2]
AOC #	12508[3]
Hubs	Prince Albert (Glass Field) Airport Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Secondary hubs	Stony Rapids Airport Fond-du-Lac Airport Wollaston Lake Airport (charter base)
Focus cities	Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Fleet size	33[4]
Destinations	8[5]
Headquarters	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Key people	Derek Nice (President / CEO) Rick Philipenko (VP Finance) Tracy Young-McLean (VP Operations & Human Resources)
Employees	300
Website	riseair.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 Twin Otters, King Air 200s, Beaver, ATR 42-320/500s, Beech 1900s and 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 as of late has been significantly scaling back summer float operations, and has been threatening to ‘park’ their Saab 340A model for many years. The company has stated plans to become an authorized and licensed ATR service and manufacturing centre. 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

Athabaska Airways 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 May 2024, Rise Air had 35^[4] aircraft registered with Transport Canada.

Current fleet

Transwest Air fleet

Aircraft	Number	Variants	Passengers[7]	Notes
Aérospatiale ATR 42	6	3 - ATR 42-300 1 - ATR 42-320 2 - ATR 42-500	44	Turboprop
Beechcraft 1900	4	1900D	19	Can be configured for cargo.
Beechcraft Super King Air	9	B200	8	Medevac configuration[8]
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver	1	MK. I	6	Wheels, skis or floats, not listed at Rise Air[7]
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter	7	1 - Series 100 4 - Series 200 2 - Series 300	14	Wheels, skis or floats[8]
Piper PA-31	3	PA-31-350		Not listed at Rise Air[7]
Saab 340	3	1 - 340A 2 - 340B	34
Total	33

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]

• 
  Transwest Air Terminal at Stony Rapids Airport
• 
  Transwest Air Beech 1900D C-GTWG at Regina International Airport
• 
  A former Transwest Air Bell 206B helicopter C-GCNC at Regina International Airport
• 
  Transwest Air Saab 340A C-GKCY

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 May 26, 2024.
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.

External links

• Official website