Transair was an airline based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It started as Central Northern Airways (CNA) in April 1947. In 1956, it merged with Arctic Wings to form Transair Ltd.
In June 1972, it ordered two Fokker F-28 Mk.1000, with the first arriving in November (CF-TAV, msn. 11033), becoming the first Canadian airline to operate the Fellowship.
In April 1973, it hired Rosella Bjornson as its first officer. Bjornson flew the F-28 and was the first woman member of the Canadian Airline Pilots Association.
In November 1973, the F-28s were given names; CF-TAV was named "Fort Resolution," and CF-TAY was named "Fort Prince of Wales" on November 10, 1973.
By 1978, the F-28s operated the following services: Flight 713 Winnipeg – Thompson Monday to Friday; Flight 729 Winnipeg – Thompson – Churchill on Sundays; Flight 701 Winnipeg – Churchill – Yellowknife – Whitehorse – Resolute Bay, every day except Saturdays. On Saturdays, it operated Flight 765 Winnipeg – The Pas – Flin Flon – Lynn Lake – Gillam. On Tuesdays, it operated Winnipeg – Gillam, and on Mondays it flew Flight 749 Winnipeg – Thompson – Churchill. On Fridays, it operated Flight 736 from Winnipeg to Toronto with an intermediate stop in Dryden. From Toronto, it operated Flight 751 on Saturdays with a final destination of Winnipeg, stopping in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and Dryden.
The Fokker F-28 operated on conventional and gravel runways, flying to remote communities, even in extreme winter temperatures. Transair's Fellowship aircraft were the first to have a large section of the leading edge of the wings painted black as an ice detection element.
In 1977, Pacific Western Airlines acquired the majority of Transair’s shares, and due to ongoing losses, the licenses and routes were transferred to Pacific Western on December 1, 1979, at which point Transair ceased to exist.
Fleet List*11033 CF-TAV dd 11Oct1972, sold to Air Niugini 06Jun1979 as P2-ANE.*11038 CF-TAY dd 12Apr1973, sold to Air Niugini 23Feb1979 as P2-ANF.
Sources: Transair Canada Facebook group.
