We start with a unique airline...

Nolinor – the Canadian charter airline operates in unique conditions. It recently announced plans to restore B737-200 fleet to pre-pandemic levels, responding to increased operations from gravel runways in the far northern territory of Nunavut. There’s been a surge in mining activities. The carrier has also increased its social media presence, providing a valuable insight into its operations in the remote areas.

The fleet consists of six B737-200 have recently undergone many months of mechanical refurbishment, costing more than $3m. This aircraft is the only one with Boeing certification for gravel runway operations.

For anyone interested in aircraft age, the -200s range from 39 to 41 years; all are the -200C Combi variant. There’s also a B737-300QC. The airline’s leisure division OWG operates B737-400 and a single B737-800.

Now for some company history. The airline is based in Mirabel, Canada, at Montreal-Mirabel Airport. Established in 1992 and starting operations in 1997. Since June 1999 it has also been authorized to provide its own aircraft maintenance. At the outset, the fleet consisted of fully cargo Convair 580s. Notably, a Learjet 31 was added in 2014 as the airline obtained more B737s. In September 2017, Nolinor participated in the rescue of stranded passengers from AF66 which made an emergency landing at Goose Bay Airport after experiencing an engine loss over the Atlantic. Passengers were ferried to LAX (their original destination).

Has anyone spotted a Nolinor aircraft? If so, please share with us!

More news…

Airlander – many blogs ago, we looked at the return of airships to commercial aviation. After exploring military use for the Airlander 10, Hybrid Air Vehicles have turned their attention to airline operations. A recently completed feasibility study looked at the airship’s use in the far north of Scotland, with assistance from the UK Government’s Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) based at KOI. The study considered operations from main airports at INV, KOI, SYY and LSI. Smaller airports included BRR and PPW.

The company is now seeking £310m of funding for a 4-year programme to get the aircraft into the skies and attract customers. A production centre will also be required, its location likely to be South Yorkshire. The facility will produce 12 aircraft/year, with space for flight testing and maintenance.

So, what are the advantages of using an airship? For airports like BRR, it would not be affected by the tide. However, the wind at BRR means a dispatch reliability rate of 79%, compared with 97% at the other airports. Then there’s increased capacity, not only passenger numbers but also cargo, or a combination of both. Of course, all the airports listed would have to undergo infrastructure works, to ensure nothing protruded. This could include retractable airfield signage and lighting flush to the pavement surface. The Airlander does not need a runway, as it lands on skids. It’s also not affected by crosswinds. Attached to a mooring mast, most maintenance will be conducted there. Technicians would abseil down. If a hangar visit was needed, then the aircraft would be flown to a larger MRO facility.

Single Pilot Ops – whilst the focus has been on larger commercial airliners, one forgotten area is scheduled flights using smaller aircraft such as the BN-2 Islander. Whilst pilot retirement age was raised from 60 to 65 in 2006, no review was undertaken for single pilot operations. One example is Loganair, where pilots would have to switch to multi-crew aircraft at 60 or move to another country such as Australia. With advanced medical screening, it’s difficult to understand why this very valuable pilot experience is being lost for no valid reason. However, despite the issue have been raised with the CAA and a review promised none has been forthcoming. Unfortunately, this organisation is known for dragging its feet…

Finally…

KLM – don’t forget, the Dutch carrier takes delivery of its first A321neo in August. The paintwork has recently been tweaked, so that the signature blue now extends up to the flightdeck windshields. If the nosecone needs to be replaced, it will blend in.

Information courtesy of Airliner World, Airlander, Johnathan Hinkles (ex-CEO Loganair), KLM

Images courtesy of Nolinor, FlightGlobal

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