Promech Air (Ketchikan) de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter with a pilot and eight passengers from a Holland America Line cruise ship died in a crash yesterday (June 25) near Ketchikan, Alaska. The Otter slammed into a cliff while on a sightseeing flight on Misty Fjords National Monument.
Promech Air is the largest air taxi in southern Southeast Alaska. Promech Airโs โcan doโ philosophy โ along with our fleet, facilities, and personnel โ make us the preferred carrier in the Ketchikan area. We have been transporting people and freight throughout Southeast Alaska for 30 years, giving us the experience to serve your transportation needs in a timely, safe, and affordable manner.
Promech Air flies to many locations throughout Southeast Alaska providing charter service to individuals and businesses, transporting everything from hunters and their gear to flowers and groceries. Promech Air;s flight seeing tours to Misty Fjords National Monument and Neets Bay Salmon Hatchery for bear viewing are some of the best tours offered in Alaska.
Promech Air currently operates four de Havilland Beavers and five de Havilland single-turbine Otters. These floatplanes are extraordinarily reliable and ideally suited for flying in Southeast Alaska. Standardization of our fleet, such as all aircraft being equipped with EDO floats, offers the advantage of simplified maintenance support. This allows us to operate with very few cancellations or flight delays due to maintenance.
Chorus Aviation Inc. (Jazz Aviation) (Halifax) has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of 519222 Ontario Limited, a holding company that owns Voyageur Airways (North Bay, Ontario) and its related companies, a leading provider of specialized aviation services with international operations.
Voyageur, a Transport Canada approved air operator, is an integrated provider of specialized aviation services, including contract flying operations both internationally and domestically, and offers advanced engineering and maintenance capabilities. Voyageur was founded almost 50 years ago in 1968, and is a private company headquartered at its 200,000 square foot facility in North Bay, Ontario. The company primarily operates within two aviation services sectors:
Specialized contract flying operations. The company operates medical, logistical and humanitarian flights serving blue chip clients comprised primarily of government entities and international non-governmental organizations. Voyageur has a total of 18 aircraft of which 13 are owned and 5 leased with the majority being Bombardier DHC-8-300 and CRJ200 aircraft. Voyageur currently operates in Canada, Africa and Central Asia.
Specialized engineering and advanced maintenance operations. As a certified Design Approval Organization by Transport Canada, the company has developed a number of Supplemental Type Certificates for modifications and improvements for Bombardier regional aircraft. The company is an ‘approved organization’ under Transport Canada, United States Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency regulations. The company has full in-house design engineering and aircraft modification capabilities for special mission integration and support requirements along with parts sales and manufacturing. The company also has storage and parking capabilities for up to 65 regional aircraft at its North Bay facility.
Voyageur also operates a small fixed-base operation at the North Bay airport providing services such as aircraft fueling, ground handling and aircraft hangar and storage facilities.
The company has a track record of strong financial performance with solid revenue and consistent free cash flow generation. For the last fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, Voyageur generated adjusted EBITDA1 of approximately $16.9 million.
Transaction Details
The purchase price, on a cash free/debt free basis, represents a total enterprise value of approximately $80 million, subject to closing working capital adjustments. Utilizing cash on hand, $47.0 million will be paid at closing, along with the issuance of $8.0 million in Chorus Class B Voting Shares. Approximately, a further $25 million in deferred cash payments will be paid in separate installments over the 36 month period following the closing. The $80 million purchase price is supported by the appraised value of Voyageur’s owned aircraft, real estate and working capital.
The $80 million purchase price represents an attractive multiple of approximately 4.7 times 2014’s adjusted EBITDA1, and will be immediately accretive to Chorus’ consolidated earnings and free cash flow1. This transaction is expected to deliver a healthy return on investment to shareholders, and does not have a negative impact on the current dividend policy.
Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2015 and is subject to certain closing conditions, including receipt of TSX, regulatory and other third party approvals, and completion of certain remaining due diligence.
Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Chorus was incorporated on September 27, 2010 and is a dividend-paying holding company with various interests including Jazz Aviation Holdings Inc. and Chorus Aviation Holdings II Inc. Chorus Aviation Holdings II Inc. is a holding company to facilitate diversification of Chorus’ business.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. De Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 Dash 7 C-GLOL (msn 39) arrives at Toronto (Pearson). Since this photo, the aircraft has been operating for the United Nations in Africa.
Jazz Aviation LP (Air Canada Express) (Halifax), a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation Inc., has announced that its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have ratified their tentative agreement reached on January 13, 2015. The term of this agreement is 11 years expiring on December 31, 2025.
ALPA represents approximately 1380 pilots employed at Jazz. The term of the pilot agreement is consistent with the 11 year term of Chorus’ proposed amended capacity purchase agreement with Air Canada (that remains subject to the completion of certain terms and conditions), and therefore provides long-term labor stability. The new collective agreement also provides for productivity enhancements, cost control measures and incentives to grow at competitive rates.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Air Canada Express-Jazz Aviation’s Bombardier DHC-8-102 C-FJMG (msn 255) is pictured parked at the gate at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.
Hawkair Aviation Services (Vancouver) will take over the nonstop service from Vancouver International Airport to Dawson Creek from its sister company beginning on Monday, December 1, 2014. Fort Nelson will continue to be serviced by Central Mountain Air through new flights.
Dawson Creek is Hawkair’s fourth nonstop destination from Vancouver International Airport. Located at Mile “0” of the world famous Alaska Highway in Northeastern BC.
Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier (de Havilland Canada) DHC-8-102 Dash 8 C-FYDH (msn 83) arrives at Vancouver International Airport.
European Coastal Airlines-ECA (Zagreb, Croatia) is a new seaplane operator founded in 2000. Ever since its foundation it has been working on the infrastructural in Croatia to start regularly scheduled seaplane operations to connect major cities and the islands along the Croatian coast. The goal is to connect all 66 inhabited islands of Croatia as well as expand operations later to Italy, Monaco and Greece.
The new seaplane carrier is planning to launch scheduled passenger flights later this month with a fleet of de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters and Grumman G-21A Goose aircraft. The first flight will connect Split Airport with the resort destination of Jelsa on the island of Hvar. The new airline will also soon operate flights from Pula, Rab, Split and Zadar.
Read the interview with CEO Klaus Dieter Martin: CLICK HERE
All images by European Coastal Airlines.
Above: The cockpit of the DHC-6 Twin Otter 9A-TOA.
Air Seychelles (Mahe) has announced a net profit of $3 million (US) for 2013, exceeding by 171 percent its profit of $1.1 million (US) reported in 2012.
Revenue increased by 107 percent to $88.7 million (2012: $42.8 million).
The airlineโs passenger numbers on its international network increased 100 percent to 195,857 (2012: 97,576), while traffic on domestic services in 2013 increased nine percent to 156,617 passengers.
The impressive 2013 passenger traffic growth was aided by Air Seychellesโ acquisition of a second Airbus A330-200 aircraft in March. The same month the island carrier launched three weekly flights to Hong Kong, and increased frequencies to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and Mauritius, bringing its total international weekly services to 16, up 100 percent.
Johannesburg and Mauritius enjoyed an additional return service per week, connecting each destination three times a week respectively with the Seychelles. The airlineโs Abu Dhabi services also increased from four to seven return flights per week.
Abu Dhabi was Air Seychellesโ busiest international route, with a total of 90,746 passengers carried between the archipelago and capital of the United Arab Emirates, a year-on-year increase of 178 percent.
Elsewhere, Air Seychelles saw record cargo volumes in 2013 thanks strong demand to and from France, Italy, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Air Seychelles signed four new codeshare partnerships in 2013, entering agreements with airberlin, Czech Airlines, South African Airways, and Cathay Pacific Airways. These codeshare agreements increased Air Seychellesโ virtual network from 19 to 34 destinations.
In October, Air Seychelles announced a multi-million dollar agreement for the purchase of three new Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft (top and below), its largest ever domestic fleet order signalling the carrierโs long-term commitment to its domestic operations. Two of these aircraft are due to arrive in mid-2014, one year ahead of schedule.
Air Seychelles now plans to welcome the new Twin Otters in July, following which, the aircraft will enter into service between Mahรฉ and Praslin, as well as other islands in the archipelago, including Bird, Denis, DโArros, and Frรฉgate.
The third Twin Otter aircraft is expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2015. All three new aircraft are part of a phased business plan to refresh the Twin Otter DHC-6 fleet.
Twin Otters were first introduced by Air Seychelles in the early 1980s and the airline currently operates three DHC-6 Series 300 aircraft and 1 DHC-6 Series 400 aircraft.
The 19-seat twin engine Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 aircraft are manufactured by Viking Air in British Columbia, Canada.
Air Seychelles capped a remarkable year of achievements by being awarded a four-star rating by Skytrax, one of 35 global carriers to hold this accolade.
Both Copyright Photos: Air Seychelles is upgrading its Twin Otter inter-island fleet. Top: S7-CUR (msn 846) is the first DHC-6-400 Twin Otter with a digital glass cockpit.ย Viking Air President and CEO, David C. Curtis, the Seychelles Minister of Home Affairs and Transport and Chairman of Air Seychelles, Joel Morgan, and Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Cramer Ball, outline details of the new Twin Otter fleet order at a press conference.
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Video: Air Seychellesย DHC-6-300 Twin Otter landing at Praslin Island Airport (PRI) coming from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ).
Piedmont Airlines’ (2nd) (US Airways Express) (Salisbury) flight attendants, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), have voted to ratify a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that was reached on March 6. The new contract was ratified by the airline’s 180 flight attendants who are based in Harrisburg, PA; Salisbury, MA; Charlottesville, VA; Roanoke, VA and New Bern, NC.
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier (de Havilland Canada) DHC-8-102 N908HA (msn 015) of Piedmont Airlines (2nd) taxies to the runway at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub.
Rediske Air (Nikiski) de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbo Otter N93PC (msn 280) (above) crashed at Soldotna yesterday in Alaska. Nine passengers and the pilot were killed in the crash. Soldotna is located in the Kenai Peninsula about 75 miles from Anchorage.
Rediske Air was established in 1991. According to the company, “Rediske Air Inc. specializes in air transportation, site seeing, aircraft charters, plane charter and freight services. We provide services to Anchorage and Kenai, AK and the surrounding areas.”
Read the full report (and photo) from the Peninsula Clarion: CLICK HERE
The NTSB issued this statement:
The National Transportation Safety Board is launching a go-team to Alaska to investigate the crash of a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. The air taxi crashed at Soldotna Airport in Soldotna, Alaska, at 11:20 a.m. local time on Sunday July 7, 2013.
NTSB Senior Aviation Accident Investigator Dan Bower will serve as investigator-in-charge. NTSB Board Member Earl F. Weener is accompanying the team and will serve as the principal spokesman.
Copyright Photo: Keith Burton/AirlinersGallery.com. De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter N93PC is pictured at the Nikiski, Alaska base prior to the accident.
Harbour Air Seaplanes (Vancouver Harbour), Westcoast Air (Vancouver Harbour) and Kenmore Air (Kenmore, WA) are coming together to build a new seaplane terminal in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, replacing the present facility consisting of converted trailers. The city council of Victoria has approved the variances to build the new terminal on city property according to this report by the Times Colonist.
Harbour Air acquired the assets of Westcoast Air on April 30, 2010.
Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Harbour Air’s de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbo Otter C-FRNO (msn 21) is captured beautifully inflight near Sechelt, British Columbia.
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Bottom Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Westcoast Air and parent Harbour Air are now developing a common livery.ย Westcoast Air’s de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter C-GQKN (msn 94) showcases 2013 livery which replaces the more colorful green, blue and white color scheme from 2008.
Loganair (Flybe) (Glasgow) will continue to operate its unique de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter service to the island of Barra in Scotland. The service is unique because the STOL aircraft lands on the beach and the timetable is variable due to the changing tides. In February theย Western Isles Council voted to end its subsidy for the Barra to Benbecula leg of the Twin Otter service. The service was due to end on March 31. The move was designed to enhance service to Glasgow.
Read the full account (with a video) from the STV News: CLICK HERE
Howeverย the Scottish Government has now confirmed it will โenhanceโ flights between Barra and Glasgow for the summer season but said they have no further plans to change the number of flights during the rest of the year according to this report by the Stornoway Gazette. The unique “beach service” will continue.
Copyright Photo: Robbie Shaw.ย Loganair’s de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter G-BVVK (msn 666) makes its unique landing at Barra (BRR). Barra is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in western Scotland. Loganair as a Flybe franchise, operates in the brand of Flybe (Exeter).
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