Air Tindi is an
airline
An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...
based in
Yellowknife
Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
,
Northwest Territories, Canada. It operates scheduled and on demand charter services. Its main base is
Yellowknife Airport
Yellowknife Airport is located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The airport has regular scheduled passenger servi ...
and the airline was previously owned by the Arychuk family.
The name Tindi means "the big lake" or "
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake (french: Grand lac des Esclaves), known traditionally as Tıdeè in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì (Dogrib), Tinde’e in Wıìlıìdeh Yatii / Tetsǫ́t’ıné Yatıé (Dogrib / Chipewyan), Tu Nedhé in Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé (Chi ...
" in the local native
Tłı̨chǫ Yatiì language.
History
![DHC-6 Twin Otters on floats](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/DHC-6_Twin_Otters_on_floats.JPG)
Air Tindi was established by two families, Alex Arychuk and his wife Sheila, and his brother Peter Arychuk and his wife Teri. It began operations on 1 November 1988, with four
float/ski aircraft. In 1990, it purchased its first
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter with the help of the Rae-Edzo Development Corporation, allowing the airline to expand and provide more services to the growing mining exploration industry. In 1991, Air Tindi merged with Latham Island Airways and acquired a further four aircraft in the process.
By mid-1992, Air Tindi was operating four Twin Otters on
floats. In 1993, its first large aircraft was purchased, a
DHC 4 Caribou for re-supply work with the mining industry. A
DHC Dash 7 was acquired in 1996.
On 19 December 2006, Air Tindi was sold to
Discovery Air (
TSX
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; french: Bourse de Toronto) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in t ...
at DA.A), a publicly traded holding company based in
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
. The founders originally maintained their positions with Air Tindi, but various corporate disagreements led to Alex Arychuk leaving as president, and departing the Discovery Air board.
In August 2011 the Government of Nunavut announced that it had awarded a contract to Air Tindi and its partner Aqsaqniq, owned by Dennis Lyall, to provide
medivac services to the
Kitikmeot Region of
Nunavut. The previous holder of the contract,
Adlair Aviation
Adlair Aviation (1983) Ltd. is a family-owned charter airline in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Adlair Aviation was established in 1983 by pilot Willy Laserich and his family. Adlair has bases at Cambridge Bay Airport and Yellowknife Airpor ...
, appealed to the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti and a decision was expected by 11 October 2011. The decision to dismiss the appeal was made 29 October 2011 and the news released 31 October. Adlair was given an extension on their contract until the end of November 2011.
Destinations
Air Tindi operates services to the following domestic scheduled destinations (as of November 2021):
[Flight Schedules](_blank)
/ref>
* Fort Simpson
Fort Simpson (Slavey language: ''Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́'' "place where rivers come together") is a village, the only one in the entire territory, in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on an ...
(Fort Simpson Airport
Fort Simpson Airport is located east southeast of Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
*On 26 June 1994, Douglas C-47A C-FROD of Buffalo Airways crashed on approach due to fuel exh ...
)
* Gamèti ( Gamètì/Rae Lakes Airport)
* Hay River (Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport
Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport is located north of Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada.
The airport is named for former bush pilot Merlyn Carter, who was killed by a black bear in 2005.
Sandhill crane
The sandhill crane (''Ant ...
)
* Lutselk'e ( Lutselk'e Airport)
* Wekweeti ( Wekweètì Airport)
* Whatì
Whatì (; from the Dogrib language meaning "Marten Lakes"), officially the ''Tłı̨chǫ Community Government of Whatì'' is a First Nations community in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Whatì is located by Lac La ...
( Whatì Airport)
* Yellowknife
Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
(Yellowknife Airport
Yellowknife Airport is located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The airport has regular scheduled passenger servi ...
)
Fleet
As of November 2021, Air Tindi had the following aircraft registered with Transport Canada
Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...
and listed with Air Tindi:[Our Fleet](_blank)
/ref>
The Transport Canada
Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...
site lists two de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and h ...
DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter with cancelled certificates.
Accidents and incidents
* On 4 October 2011, a Tindi owned Cessna Caravan en route from Yellowknife Airport
Yellowknife Airport is located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The airport has regular scheduled passenger servi ...
to Lutselk'e Airport crashed about west of the community. There were, including the pilot, four people on the aircraft and two were reported killed. The condition of the two survivors was not disclosed but they had been sent to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife.
*On 30 January 2019, A Tindi King Air 200 was en route from Yellowknife to Gamètì/Rae Lakes Airport in instrument meteorological conditions, and crashed east of the community of Whati. The two crew and sole occupants were fatally injured. The investigation determined that both attitude indicators had failed, one prior to departure and one in-flight.
References
External links
Air Tindi
{{Airlines of Canada, state=collapsed
Air Transport Association of Canada
Airlines established in 1988
Regional airlines of the Northwest Territories
Companies based in Yellowknife
Seaplane operators