View source for Austin Airways

{{Short description|Defunct airline of Canada (1934–1987)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline          = Austin Airways
| image            = Image:AustinAirwa.jpg
| caption          = 
| IATA             =
| ICAO             = AAW
| callsign         = AUSTIN
| founded          = {{start date|1934||}} as Capreol and Austin Air Services
| commenced        =
| ceased           = {{end date|1987|06|}}{{efn|merged with [[Great Lakes Airlines (Canada)|Air Ontario Ltd.]] to form [[Air Ontario|Air Ontario Inc.]]}}
| bases            = 
| hubs             = 
| frequent_flyer   = 
| lounge           = 
| alliance         = 
| subsidiaries     = 
| fleet_size       = See [[Austin Airways#Aircraft used|Aircraft used]] below
| destinations     = See [[Austin Airways#Destinations|Destinations]] below
| company_slogan   = 
| parent           = 
| headquarters     = [[Timmins]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
| key_people       = 
| num_employees    = 
| website          = 
}}

'''Austin Airways''' was a passenger [[airline]] and freight carrier based in [[Timmins]], [[Ontario]], and one of the oldest in [[Canada]].

[[File:Austin Airways DHC-6-300.jpg|thumb|[[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] in 1983]]

==History==
Established as '''Capreol and Austin Air Services''' was one of Canada's oldest airlines, starting operations in 1934. The home base was [[Timmins]] and it operated many duties in addition to passenger and freight services. Over the years, scheduled services served over 40 cities, including one destination in the [[United States]]. In 1973 it merged with '''White River Air Services''' but continued to operate as Austin Airways.

In June 1987 it merged with Air Ontario Ltd (formerly [[Great Lakes Airlines (Canada)|Great Lakes Airlines]], formed in 1958) to form [[Air Ontario]] Inc. In turn Air Ontario became part of [[Air Canada Jazz]] in 2001.<ref>Airlines Remembered by BI Hengi, Publisher Midland Publishing</ref>

[[File:AustinAirwaysMap85.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Austin Airways 1985 route map]]

The April 26, 1987 Air Ontario/Austin Airways joint system timetable listed Air Canada Connector [[code share]] flights operated by both airlines on behalf of [[Air Canada]] with Austin Airways operating 14-passenger [[Beechcraft 99]], 7-passenger [[Cessna 402]], 19-passenger [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]], 37-passenger [[de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8]] and 40 to 43-passenger [[Hawker Siddeley HS 748]] aircraft at this time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=April 26, 1987 Air Ontario/Austin Airways system timetable |url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.timetableimages.com}}</ref> The HS 748 turboprop was the largest aircraft operated by Austin Airways.

==Historical fleet==
Over its long history, Austin Airways operated the following aircraft:

*[[Beech 99]] ([[turboprop]])
*[[Cessna Citation]] ([[business jet]])
*[[Cessna 402]]
*[[Consolidated PBY Canso]] ([[amphibian aircraft]])
*[[de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver]]
*[[de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter]]
*[[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] ([[STOL]] capable [[turboprop]])
*[[Douglas DC-3]] (includes [[C-47]] model)
*[[Hawker Siddeley HS 748]] ([[turboprop]])

==Destinations==
The following destinations were served by Austin Airways during its existence. Most of the destinations served by the airline were isolated and remote airports in northern [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]] provinces as well as in the [[Northwest Territories]] (NWT) (now [[Nunavut]]) in Canada in addition to several larger airports across Ontario. Minneapolis/St. Paul in the [[United States|U.S.]] was the only non-Canadian destination served by the airline during its existence.

===Ontario Province===
{{col div}}
* [[Attawapiskat, Ontario]]
* [[Bear Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Bearskin Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Big Trout Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Cochrane, Ontario]]
* [[Fort Albany, Ontario]]
* [[Fort Hope, Ontario]]
* [[Fort Severn First Nation|Fort Severn, Ontario]] - ''most northerly destination''
* [[Geraldton, Ontario]]
* [[Kapuskasing, Ontario]]
* [[Kasabonika Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Kashechewan First Nation]], [[Ontario]]
* [[Kenora, Ontario]]
* [[Lansdowne House, Ontario]]
* [[Manitouwadge, Ontario]]
* [[Marathon, Ontario]]
* [[Moosonee, Ontario]]
* [[Nakina, Ontario]]
* [[Pickle Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Pikangikum, Ontario]]
* [[Red Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Round Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Sachigo Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Sandy Lake, Ontario]]
* [[Sioux Lookout, Ontario]]
* [[Sudbury, Ontario]]
* [[Thunder Bay, Ontario]] 
* [[Timmins, Ontario]] - ''location of company headquarters''
* [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]] 
* [[Trenton, Ontario]]
* [[Webequie First Nation]], [[Ontario]]
* [[Windsor, Ontario]] - ''most southerly destination''
* [[Winisk, Ontario]]
{{Div col end}}

=== Quebec Province===
{{col div}}
*[[Akulivik, Quebec]]
*[[Eastmain, Quebec]]
*Fort George (now [[Chisasibi, Quebec]])
*[[Fort Rupert, Quebec]]
*Great Whale (now [[Kuujjuarapik, Quebec]])
*[[Inukjuak, Quebec]]
*[[Ivujivik, Quebec]]
*[[Povungnituk, Quebec]]
*[[Rupert House]] (now [[Waskaganish, Quebec]])
*Sugluk (now [[Salluit, Quebec]])
{{Div col end}}

===Nunavut=== 
Formerly part of the Northwest Territories

*[[Cape Dorset]]
*[[Sanikiluaq]]

===U.S.===
* [[Minneapolis]]/[[St. Paul, Minnesota]] - ''only U.S. destination''

==Accidents and incidents==
*On 9 January 1964<ref>[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19640109-0 Aviation Safety Network database]</ref> [[Douglas C-47]] CF-ILQ crashed 50 minutes after take-off on a cargo flight from [[Moosonee]] to Nemiscan Settlement, Ontario. Both pilots were seriously injured, but were pulled from the aircraft 4–5 days later by a search and rescue party and ultimately survived. It was determined that the crash was caused by fuel deprivation leading to engine failure of both of the aircraft's engines. To this day, the hulk of the aircraft still sits where it had crashed in 1964, despite being partially salvaged, and burned from a forest fire that swept across the area in the mid-1980s.
*On 9 November 1969, Douglas C-47B CF-AAL crashed on approach to [[Timmins, Ontario|Timmins]], [[Ontario]] killing two of the four people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic flight from [[Winisk, Ontario]].<ref name=ASN091169>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19691109-0 |title=CF-AAL Accident Description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=14 February 2011}}</ref>
*On 19 June 1970, Douglas C-47A CF-AAC was written off in an accident at [[Val-d'Or]], [[Quebec]].<ref name=ASN190670>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19700619-0 |title=CF-AAC Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=20 October 2010}}</ref>
*On 4 September 1976, DHC-3 CF-MIT struck power lines in the Abitibi Canyon near [[Fraserdale, Ontario]] in below VFR conditions, with loss of all 10 people on board,<ref>[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19760904-0 Aviation Safety Network database]</ref> the worst accident in the airline's history.
*On 10 December 1976, Douglas C-47A C-FIAX crashed on take-off from [[Chisasibi]], [[Quebec]]. All eight people on board survived.<ref name=ASN101276>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19761210-2 |title=C-FIAX Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=15 August 2010}}</ref>
*On 19 January 1986, Douglas C-47A C-GNNA struck a {{convert|150|ft|m}} high [[Non-directional beacon]] tower and crashed at [[Sachigo Lake Airport]], [[Ontario]].<ref name=ASN190186>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19860119-1 |title=C-GNNA Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 July 2010}}</ref> After clipping the top of the tower, the pilot lost use of ailerons, and the plane began flipping over. He used the rudder to correct, spotted the runway, and made a controlled crash landing. The pilot saved all five on board with his actions, but he himself suffered two crushed vertebrae.<ref>First-hand account of incident as told by the pilot, currently living in Red Lake, Ontario</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of defunct airlines of Canada]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Austin Airways}}
* [http://www.pastforward.ca/perspectives/sept_192003.htm Community Voices]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930163802/http://ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_STU/Plaque_Sudbury04.html Ontario Plaques - Austin Airways]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512071047/http://www.cahf.ca/Members%20and%20Belt%20of%20Orion/members/A_members.htm Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame - Austin]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203011510/http://www.cahf.ca/Members%20and%20Belt%20of%20Orion/members/R_members.htm Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame - Russell]
* [http://www.rzjets.net/operators/?show=6287 Partial Fleet Listing]
* [https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Austinveterans/info Austin Airways yahoo group]

{{Portal bar|Canada|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Defunct airlines of Canada}}
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[[Category:Defunct airlines of Canada]]
[[Category:Air Canada]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1934]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1987]]
[[Category:Economy of Timmins]]
[[Category:1934 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:1987 disestablishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:1987 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Defunct seaplane operators]]
[[Category:Canadian companies established in 1934]]
[[Category:Canadian companies disestablished in 1987]]