Calgary’s Integra Air to operate Orca Airways’ Vancouver Island routes

Following Transport Canada’s suspension of Vancouver-based Orca Airways’ air operator’s certificate (AOC) last week, Alberta carrier Integra Air will take over Orca’s scheduled passenger and cargo flights in British Columbia, Integra CEO John Macek said March 19. Transport Canada suspended Orca Airways’ AOC March 15, citing Orca’s “repeated non-compliance with aviation safety regulations … including maintenance, operational control, documentation and quality assurance.” Based at Vancouver International Airport, Orca operated regular scheduled passenger service between Vancouver and four Vancouver Island airports. The airline’s fleet is comprised of Beechcraft King Air and Piper Navajo turboprops. Macek said Integra Air was in the process of negotiating aircraft and crew to take on the Orca routes, and indicated the two airlines have been working toward a merger for months, including shifting Orca’s AOC over to Integra. Integra Air operates scheduled regional routes between Calgary and northern Alberta communities Dawson Creek and Bonnyville, as well as flights between Edmonton and Lethbridge in southern Alberta.<br/>