Kenn Borek Air
Encyclopedia
Kenn Borek Air is an airline
based in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. It operates regional passenger and cargo services, contract operations in the Arctic
and Antarctic
and aircraft leasing. Its main base is Calgary International Airport
. It charters aircraft for scientific expeditions, oil exploration, etc., and operates air ambulance
services.
providing air support for oil exploration activities in the Canadian Arctic
. In April 2001, Kenn Borek Air rescued Dr. Ron Shemenski from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
. When float operations are impossible during the Canadian winter, Kenn Borek Air leases many of its planes and pilots to the Maldivian Air Taxi
service.
Kenn Borek Air offers a full service overhaul maintenance hangar (for Twin Otter maintenance, DC-3 maintenance, and Basler maintenance) in Calgary with routine maintenance being completed wherever the aircraft is located.
as Unaalik Aviation :
Kenn Borek also operates services to several communities in the Northwest Territories
as Aklak Air
:
As of January 2009, the Kenn Borek site indicates they operate 57 aircraft. This includes 35 Twin Otters, which they say is one of the largest fleets in the world. According to Transport Canada
the company had 38 aircraft registered as of 28 February 2009. Kenn Borek Air operates aircraft equipped with wheels, floats, and skiis.
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ Kenn Borek Fleet
|- bgcolor=lightgreen
!Aircraft||No. of Aircraft
(KBA list)||No. of Aircraft
(TC
list)||Variants
|-
| Basler BT-67
|| - || 1 || DC-3T
|-
| Beechcraft 90 || - || 1 || C90
|-
| Raytheon Beech B99
|| - || 3 || 99, B99
|-
| Beechcraft 100 || - || 10 || 100, A100
|-
| Beechcraft 200 || - || 5 || 200
|-
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
|| 42 || 12 || 300
|-
| Douglas DC-3 Turbine || - || 1 ||
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It operates regional passenger and cargo services, contract operations in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
and aircraft leasing. Its main base is Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
. It charters aircraft for scientific expeditions, oil exploration, etc., and operates air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
services.
History
The airline began operations in 1970 with a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
providing air support for oil exploration activities in the Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
. In April 2001, Kenn Borek Air rescued Dr. Ron Shemenski from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the American scientific research station on the high plateau of Antarctica. This station is located at the southernmost place on the Earth, the Geographic South Pole, at an elevation of 2,835 meters above sea level.The original Amundsen-Scott Station was...
. When float operations are impossible during the Canadian winter, Kenn Borek Air leases many of its planes and pilots to the Maldivian Air Taxi
Maldivian Air Taxi
Maldivian Air Taxi is the largest domestic carrier in the Maldives and is also one of the largest seaplane operators in the world operating over 500 flights a week during the peak tourist season...
service.
Kenn Borek Air offers a full service overhaul maintenance hangar (for Twin Otter maintenance, DC-3 maintenance, and Basler maintenance) in Calgary with routine maintenance being completed wherever the aircraft is located.
Destinations
As of January 2009, Kenn Borek Air operates services to the following domestic scheduled destinations in NunavutNunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
as Unaalik Aviation :
- Grise FiordGrise Fiord, NunavutGrise Fiord, is a small Inuit hamlet in the Qikiqtaaluk Region in the territory of Nunavut, Canada. Despite its low population , it is the largest community on Ellesmere Island...
(Grise Fiord AirportGrise Fiord AirportGrise Fiord Airport is located at Grise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada, and is operated by the Government of Nunavut. The only building at this airport is the Air Passenger Shelter and the companies that operate there are Air Nunavut using the Super King Air 200 and Kenn Borek Air using the DHC-6 Twin...
) - ResoluteResolute, NunavutResolute or Resolute Bay is a small Inuit hamlet on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada. It is situated at the northern end of Resolute Bay and the Northwest Passage and is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region....
(Resolute Bay AirportResolute Bay Airport-Accidents:On August 20, 2011, First Air Flight 6560, a Boeing 737-200, carrying 15 people crashed near the airport. Twelve people were killed and three people survived. Flight 6560 was a charter from Yellowknife to Resolute.-External links:...
)
Kenn Borek also operates services to several communities in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
as Aklak Air
Aklak Air
Aklak Air is an airline based in Inuvik in Northwest Territories in Canada. It operates year-round and seasonal scheduled services, as well as charter flights throughout the western Arctic. Its main base is Inuvik Airport.-History:...
:
- AklavikAklavik, Northwest TerritoriesAklavik is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, the community served as the regional administrative centre for the territorial government...
(Aklavik/Freddie Carmichael Airport, depending on demand) - Fort McPhersonFort McPherson, Northwest TerritoriesFort McPherson is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the east bank of the Peel River and is south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway....
(Fort McPherson AirportFort McPherson AirportFort McPherson Airport is located south of Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Northwest Territories, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:...
, only when ice road closed or ferry not in operation) - InuvikInuvik, Northwest TerritoriesInuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region.The population as of the 2006 Census was 3,484, but the two previous census counts show wide fluctuations due to economic conditions: 2,894 in 2001 and 3,296 in 1996...
(Inuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik Airport is located east of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
) - PaulatukPaulatuk, Northwest TerritoriesPaulatuk is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located adjacent to Darnley Bay, in the Amundsen Gulf...
(Paulatuk AirportPaulatuk AirportPaulatuk Airport is located near Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. NAV CANADA reports that subsidence, turbulence and cross-winds may be encountered when landing here.-Airlines and destinations:...
) - Sachs HarbourSachs Harbour, Northwest TerritoriesSachs Harbour is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Situated on the southwestern coast of Banks Island in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, the population according to the 2006 census count was 122 people. The two principal languages in the town are...
(Sachs Harbour AirportSachs Harbour AirportSachs Harbour Airport is located at Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada. Pilots will need to bring their own pump if they require 100LL fuel.-Airlines and destinations:...
) - Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport, weekend service depending on demand)
- UlukhaktokUlukhaktok, Northwest TerritoriesUlukhaktok is a small hamlet on the west coast of Victoria Island, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The 2006 census indicated a population of 398 of which 360 were Inuvialuit or Inuit along with 7.5% non-Aboriginal and 2.5% North American Indian...
(Ulukhaktok/Holman AirportUlukhaktok/Holman AirportUlukhaktok/Holman Airport, located at Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada was fully opened in December 1978 with the start of the Community Aerodrome Radio Station . However, aircraft had been using the runway prior to that as construction was completed in the summer of 1978.Construction of...
)
Fleet
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
the company had 38 aircraft registered as of 28 February 2009. Kenn Borek Air operates aircraft equipped with wheels, floats, and skiis.
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ Kenn Borek Fleet
|- bgcolor=lightgreen
!Aircraft||No. of Aircraft
(KBA list)||No. of Aircraft
(TC
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
list)||Variants
|-
| Basler BT-67
Basler BT-67
-See also:-External links:* * * * *...
|| - || 1 || DC-3T
|-
| Beechcraft 90 || - || 1 || C90
|-
| Raytheon Beech B99
Beechcraft Model 99
|-See also:-External links:*...
|| - || 3 || 99, B99
|-
| Beechcraft 100 || - || 10 || 100, A100
|-
| Beechcraft 200 || - || 5 || 200
|-
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
|| 42 || 12 || 300
|-
| Douglas DC-3 Turbine || - || 1 ||
Accidents and incidents
- On 28 February 1977, Douglas C-47A C-FIQR crashed near Saglone, Quebec.
- On 18 September 1978, Douglas C-47A C-FCRW was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Komakuk Airport, Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
.
- On 7 May 1982, Douglas C-47A C-FQHF overran the runway at Calgary International AirportCalgary International AirportCalgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
following an aborted take-off. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
- On 20 December 2007, Basler BT-67Basler BT-67-See also:-External links:* * * * *...
C-FMKB was substantially damaged in a take-off accident at Mount Patterson, Antarctica when the take-off was attempted with insufficient speed for flight. Of the 12 people on board, only the co-pilot suffered minor injuries. Although both sets of undercarriage collapsed and the port wing was damaged, the aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.
- On 25 October 2010, Beechcraft King Air C-FAFD en route from Edmonton City Centre to Kirby Lake (CFR4), crashed 1.5 NM southeast of Kirby Lake (55 20.5N / 110 36.2W). One of the ten occupants on board was killed, four were seriously injured.
- On 4 November 2010, a hangar fire at Inuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik Airport is located east of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
destroyed three aircraft owned by Kenn Borek Air and operated by Aklak AirAklak AirAklak Air is an airline based in Inuvik in Northwest Territories in Canada. It operates year-round and seasonal scheduled services, as well as charter flights throughout the western Arctic. Its main base is Inuvik Airport.-History:...
. They were de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterThe DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
C-GZVH, Beechcraft King AirBeechcraft King AirThe Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
C-GHOC and Beechcraft 99Beechcraft Model 99|-See also:-External links:*...
C-GKKB.