Knighthawk Air Express
Encyclopedia
Knighthawk Air Express Ltd. was a cargo airline
based in Canada
, which operated primarily within Canada, from hubs located in Calgary, the westernmost base, Ottawa
, and Montreal
. It operated cargo services on behalf of express package services including Purolator, Airborne Express and FedEx
.
On May 16, 2005 it was announced that Knighthawk Air Express had received a cancellation notice from its customer stating that both of its air routes would be cancelled effective from May 28, 2005. As a result the airline took immediate steps to reduce its costs and overheads and started the disposition of its airfreight assets.
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
based in 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...
, which operated primarily within Canada, from hubs located in Calgary, the westernmost base, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. It operated cargo services on behalf of express package services including Purolator, Airborne Express and FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
.
History
The airline was established in December 1993. In October 2003, it notified the government of its intent to restructure its operations under Canada's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. In June 2004 the airline emerged from bankruptcy .On May 16, 2005 it was announced that Knighthawk Air Express had received a cancellation notice from its customer stating that both of its air routes would be cancelled effective from May 28, 2005. As a result the airline took immediate steps to reduce its costs and overheads and started the disposition of its airfreight assets.
Incidents and accidents
- 30 December 1998 - Knighthawk Air Express Dassault Falcon 20DDassault Falcon 20The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet and was the first of a family of business jets built by Dassault Aviation.-Design and development:...
, on a cargo flight from GanderGander, Newfoundland and LabradorGander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, was on approach to St John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and LabradorSt. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
when it encountered severe turbulence and wind shearWind shearWind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, resulting in loss of altitude and impact with trees. The aircraft was able to land at the airport but sustained substantial damage to the left wing. There were no injuries to the two-person crew .
Fleet
When operations ceased, the Knighthawk Air Express fleet consisted of the following aircraft:- 4 Dassault Falcon 20Dassault Falcon 20The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet and was the first of a family of business jets built by Dassault Aviation.-Design and development:...
- 1 Raytheon Beech 1900Beechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...