Quebecair (IATA: QBA, ICAO: QB, Call sign: Quebecair) was a Canadian airline that operated from 1947 until 1986. Quebecair was headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a part of Montreal.[1]
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Quebecair began as Rimouski Airlines in 1947 and flew under that name until it merged with Gulf Aviation in 1953 under the name Quebec-Air. The aircraft in operation at the time were the Beech 18, the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and the Douglas DC-3. Operations were mainly based in Quebec and Montreal was added in 1957. Eventually the latter city became the operating base for Quebecair.
In 1958 a fire in a hangar destroyed three DC-3s and Fokker F27 "Friendship" were bought to replace the destroyed aircraft. Those proved to be very successful. As operations increased, the company introduced a new, larger aircraft in the form of the Convair CV-540, which were put on the main route between Montreal and Quebec.
During the 1960s, the company took over various other airlines, namely Matane Air Service and Northern Wings in 1965, Fecteau Air Service in 1968, and Royale Air in 1969. The increase in operations brought the introduction of the first jet aircraft, the BAC 1-11, which were put into use on the Montreal - Toronto route.
The company took over Air Gaspé in 1973 and acquired more northern routes. In 1974 it bought two Boeing 707s for charter work and also Boeing 727 aircraft. It conducted charter flights to destinations in Florida, the Caribbean, Europe and Hawaii. Charter flights were discontinued in 1979 and the 707s were sold off.
By 1981 the financial conditions in Quebecair were difficult. All aircraft models except for the F27s and BAC 1-11s were sold. This was a difficult time for Quebecair and other airlines. It did not introduce the Boeing 737-200 until 1983. In 1984 Quebecair leased a couple of Douglas DC-8-63s for charter flights, but those did not last very long.
The next year, 1985, was very difficult, as the industry was restructuring. The financial situation forced the Quebec government (which had owned the airline for a few years) to sell the company to CP Air in July 1986. In continuing consolidation, this was acquired by Canadian Airlines in 1987.[2]
The 1980 route map shows the following destinations being served:
And in the United States: