QuikAir
Encyclopedia
QuikAir was a small Canadian regional airline
based in Calgary
, Alberta
, serving business travellers. QuikAir ceased its operations on October 24, 2006.
; QuikAir was operating a dedicated fleet of four aircraft on the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, providing 24 daily flights between the two cities. It also operated flights to Fort McMurray and Penticton, British Columbia
. Until 2004, it also operated in Quebec
and Ontario
. Private charters were also available.
The scheduled service into Edmonton was restricted to the International Airport
only, under the Access Agreement which prevented scheduled flights from serving the City Center Airport
. The International Airport, being located in Leduc
and not actually Edmonton, forced many regular business travellers to find other transportation into the downtown core.
The proposed scheduled service into Penticton was met with resistance by means of a Transport Canada representative. Unsatisfied with the Jetstream's single engine performance, it was decided that, in the event of an engine failure, the aircraft could not make it safely back out of the valley in which Penticton lies. Multiple revisions of approach procedures occurred, each which had to be reviewed and approved.
As the Penticton route debuted with much fanfare, many flights were pre-sold to customers. Not wanting to lose their customer base, QuikAir chartered several different airlines to carry their passengers for the scheduled flights while the approach procedures were being worked out. Often there were communication problems between QuikAir, these contracted airlines, and the passengers, which led to customer dissatisfaction.
QuikAir officially ceased operations as of October 24, 2006, leaving many passengers making new arrangements and fighting for their refunds, as well as several employees without their last weeks of wages. Bankruptcy was officially declared November 16, 2007.
The Calgary-Edmonton corridor routes were picked up by Peace Air
, which also ran scheduled flights to Fort McMurray.
(Peace Air has sinced ceased operations as of May 18, 2007.)
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
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...
, serving business travellers. QuikAir ceased its operations on October 24, 2006.
Services
From its launch in 2001 until the start of 2006, QuikAir had operated more than 25,000 flights between Calgary and EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
; QuikAir was operating a dedicated fleet of four aircraft on the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, providing 24 daily flights between the two cities. It also operated flights to Fort McMurray and Penticton, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Until 2004, it also operated in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Private charters were also available.
Fleet
As of August 2006, the QuikAir fleet included:Failure
The demise of QuikAir was caused by several different factors:The scheduled service into Edmonton was restricted to the International Airport
Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton International Airport is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton region in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada providing regularly scheduled nonstop flights to over fifty communities in Canada, the United...
only, under the Access Agreement which prevented scheduled flights from serving the City Center Airport
Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport
Edmonton City Centre Airport, , is located within the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is bordered by Yellowhead Trail to the north, Kingsway to the south, 121 Street to the west, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to the east. It encompasses approximately of land just north...
. The International Airport, being located in Leduc
Leduc, Alberta
- Demographics :The population of the City of Leduc according to its 2011 municipal census is 24,139, a 3.6% increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 23,293....
and not actually Edmonton, forced many regular business travellers to find other transportation into the downtown core.
The proposed scheduled service into Penticton was met with resistance by means of a Transport Canada representative. Unsatisfied with the Jetstream's single engine performance, it was decided that, in the event of an engine failure, the aircraft could not make it safely back out of the valley in which Penticton lies. Multiple revisions of approach procedures occurred, each which had to be reviewed and approved.
As the Penticton route debuted with much fanfare, many flights were pre-sold to customers. Not wanting to lose their customer base, QuikAir chartered several different airlines to carry their passengers for the scheduled flights while the approach procedures were being worked out. Often there were communication problems between QuikAir, these contracted airlines, and the passengers, which led to customer dissatisfaction.
QuikAir officially ceased operations as of October 24, 2006, leaving many passengers making new arrangements and fighting for their refunds, as well as several employees without their last weeks of wages. Bankruptcy was officially declared November 16, 2007.
The Calgary-Edmonton corridor routes were picked up by Peace Air
Peace Air
Peace Air was a Canadian regional airline that flew to destinations within the Canadian province of Alberta and to two destinations in eastern British Columbia. It covered niche markets including scheduled flights to smaller communities, freight and charter flights in northern Alberta. It was based...
, which also ran scheduled flights to Fort McMurray.
(Peace Air has sinced ceased operations as of May 18, 2007.)