Les Investissements Nolinor Inc., trading as Nolinor Aviation, is a charter airline based in Mirabel, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It operates passenger charter and cargo services within Canada and to the United States. Its main base is Montréal–Mirabel International Airport.[9] It has 200 employees.[10]

Nolinor Aviation
A Boeing 737-200 in Montreal
IATA ICAO Call sign
N5 NRL[1] NOLINOR[1]
Founded1992; 32 years ago (1992)
Commenced operations1997; 27 years ago (1997)
AOC #Canada: 10705[2]
United States: NL1F800F[3]
Operating basesMontréal–Mirabel International Airport
Fleet size20 (TC),[4] 12 (NRL)[5][6][7][8]
HeadquartersMirabel, Quebec, Canada
Websitewww.nolinor.com/en

History

edit

The airline was established in 1992 and started operations in 1997. Since June 1999 it has also been authorized to provide its own aircraft maintenance.

 
A Nolinor Boeing 737-200 landing at Val-d'Or Airport

In 2001, the company bought its first fully cargo Convair 580 and started providing cargo service to the United States and the northern region of Canada. In order to respond to the growing cargo market, Nolinor Aviation bought two more full cargo Convair 580s in 2004. In 2006, the fourth passenger Convair 580 was purchased.

In 2004, the Prud'Homme family trust became the majority stockholder. Expanding very rapidly, Nolinor needed more space for its Convair 580 fleet and in 2005 the company moved its maintenance facilities to Mirabel International Airport. The new hangar provides more than 9,300 m2 (100,000 sq ft) and is able to accommodate aircraft like the Boeing 747-200, 777-300, 767, Airbus A310, and A320. The pavement has more than 28,000 m2 (300,000 sq ft). and provides sufficient parking space for all the Nolinor Convair 580s and other maintenance clients.

 
The cabin of a Nolinor 737-200

In 2006, the company was named one of the best enterprises in the province of Quebec by the National Bank of Canada. Nolinor is taking its share of the market outside the Quebec region.

In 2007, Nolinor Aviation acquired two ex-Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-200 combis (freight/passenger).

In 2011, Nolinor acquired another 737-200 full freighter, for its cargo operations.

 
Nolinor charter (operating as First Air) at Cambridge Bay Airport

In 2013, Nolinor began charter service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport to Mary River Aerodrome via Iqaluit Airport using a Boeing 737-200 with three times weekly service and a fourth flight every other week. This service has since ended.

In 2014, Nolinor added a Learjet 31 corporate jet to its fleet.

In 2016, Nolinor Aviation added a 737-300 to its fleet.[6]

In September 2017, Nolinor participated in the rescue of stranded passengers from Air France Flight 066 which made an emergency landing at Goose Bay Airport in Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, after experiencing an engine loss over the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers were ferried to their original destination at Los Angeles International Airport, with a stop at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

In 2020, the Montreal Alouettes and Nolinor Aviation planned to team up for the next ten years, as Nolinor remained the club's official charter flight partner. This new deal went even further than the previous one, as a Boeing 737 plane was personalized with the team's logo and colours.[11]

Nolinor also launched OWG, a new airline, to offer a unique travel experience to tropical destinations.[12][13]

Operations

edit

Nolinor's primary bases of operations include:

Livery

edit

In 2003, the Netherlands-based airline branding firm Lila Design re-designed Nolinor's logo and aircraft paint design into a stylized white, blue and gold image.[14]

Fleet

edit

The Nolinor Aviation fleet includes the following aircraft (as of August 10, 2024)[4]

Nolinor fleet
Aircraft TC number[4] NRL number Variants Notes
Aerospatiale AS350 1 - AS350 B2 Helicopter, not listed at Nolinor web site
Boeing 737 9 9 737-200 All planes combi aircraft, 119 seats maximum, outfitted with gravel kits. Capable of carrying more than 30,000 lb (14,000 kg) of cargo.[5] Aircraft C-GNLK has the distinction of being the oldest 737 and oldest jet airliner in commercial passenger operation today, having operated since delivery in 1974 (50 years).[15]
Boeing 737 Classic 4 2 1 - 737-300,
3 - 737-400
The 300 can be configured for up to 130 seats.[6] The 400 can be configured for 159 passengers maximum.[7] Two 737-400s have been delivered in 2020, one is ex-Xtra Airways and the other is ex-AlbaStar.[16] Whole fleet painted in OWG livery, which is Nolinor's leisure travel wing. According to TC there are three 400 series and according to Nolinor there is one.[4][7]
Boeing 737 Next Generation 1 1 737-800 Delivered October 2020. Painted in OWG livery. Configured for 189 passengers.[8]
Cessna 172 2 - 172L Training plane, not listed at Nolinor web site
Convair CV-340 1 - CV-340 Not listed at Nolinor web site
Learjet 45 2 - Lear 45 Nine passenger corporate jet for executive transport. Not listed at Nolinor web site
Total 20 12

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 2023-05-04. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-02-26. Nolinor Aviation: NRL, NOLINOR
  2. ^ Transport Canada (2019-09-06), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  3. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  4. ^ a b c d "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Nolinor". Transport Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Boeing 737-200". Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Boeing 737-300". Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Nolinor : Boeing 737-400". Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Nolinor : Boeing 737-800". Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  9. ^ Nolinor : Contact
  10. ^ Nolinor : Career
  11. ^ The Alouettes to fly on the wings of Nolinor Aviation
  12. ^ Launch of OWG, a new airline, To offer a unique travel experience to tropical destinations
  13. ^ Nolinor Invests Millions in New Canadian Airline and Fleet Avionics
  14. ^ Lila Design Portfolio (Nolinor)
  15. ^ Smith, Oliver. "The oldest passenger planes still in the sky". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  16. ^ Nolinor Aviation [@nolinoraviation] (2020-04-27). "@Stratocruzr Nope" (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-12-31 – via Twitter.
edit