Rise Air

Rise Air is a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with its principal operating base in the province. The company serves northern and remote communities through scheduled passenger flights, charter services, and specialized aviation operations. Its business reflects the geography of northern Saskatchewan, where air transport is an important link between dispersed settlements, resource areas, airports, water aerodromes, and larger provincial centres. The Rise Air brand was created in 2021 when Transwest Airlines and West Wind Aviation were merged. The transaction brought together two Saskatchewan aviation businesses with substantial experience in scheduled regional flying, remote-community service, aircraft maintenance, and contract aviation. Before the reorganization, Transwest Airlines itself represented the later development of two older operators: La Ronge Aviation and Athabaska Airways. Athabaska Airways was established in 1955 by Floyd Glass, an experienced Saskatchewan aviator and former general manager of Saskatchewan Government Airways. The enterprise subsequently operated under the Transwest Air name and became part of West Wind Aviation in 2016. Rise Air's service portfolio extends beyond ordinary airline transportation. In addition to scheduled passenger services, the company has operated fishing and other charter flights, aerial surveying, forest-fire-fighting support, and air ambulance or medevac missions. This combination of public-facing regional routes and specialist aviation work is typical of carriers serving remote Canadian markets, where one aircraft fleet may support community connectivity, industrial contracts, emergency response, and seasonal tourism. The airline operates a mixed turboprop and utility fleet. Aircraft associated with its operations include Twin Otters, de Havilland Beavers, Beechcraft King Air 200s, Beech 1900s, ATR 42 aircraft, and Saab 340 regional turboprops. The company has also maintained aviation infrastructure at locations including Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Stony Rapids, as well as operating or supporting water-aerodrome facilities at La Ronge, Stony Rapids, and Southend/Hans Ulricksen Field. These capabilities allow it to serve both conventional runways and remote or seasonal operating environments. The business has faced the practical challenges of northern regional aviation, including seasonal variation in float operations, fleet-utilization decisions, and the need to maintain specialized aircraft types. Publicly described plans have included developing an authorized and licensed ATR service and manufacturing centre, which would broaden the company's role from airline operator to aircraft-maintenance and aviation-services provider. The company has also reviewed the continued use of older Saab 340A aircraft and reduced some summer float activity. Although the supplied legacy website uses the Transwest Air identity, the authoritative encyclopedia subject is Rise Air. Transwest Air is therefore best understood as a predecessor and historical brand within the airline's corporate development rather than as a separate current encyclopedia subject. Rise Air remains an active Saskatchewan-focused operator whose identity is associated with regional connectivity, Indigenous ownership, remote-area aviation, and diversified air services.

Rise Air's roots extend through several Saskatchewan aviation enterprises. The earliest specifically documented predecessor is Athabaska Airways, founded in 1955 by Floyd Glass. Glass had learned to fly before the Second World War, served as a military flying instructor during the war, and later became the first general manager of Saskatchewan Government Airways, a provincial Crown corporation. After a period with British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Airways, he returned to Saskatchewan and established his own company. Athabaska Airways subsequently developed into an operator associated with the Transwest Air name. Glass died in 1999. The broader Transwest organization was also connected with La Ronge Aviation. The combination of La Ronge Aviation and Athabaska Airways produced Transwest Airlines, which operated in the distinctive environment of northern Saskatchewan. Its activities were not limited to fixed scheduled routes. The company provided passenger transportation, fishing and other charter work, aerial surveying, forest-fire-fighting support, and medevac services. Such diversification enabled the operator to serve communities and commercial customers across a region where demand changes by season and where specialized aircraft are often required. Transwest's operating profile included both conventional regional aircraft and utility aircraft capable of serving smaller or less-developed airfields. Its historical fleet included British Aerospace Jetstream 31 aircraft, Beechcraft Model 99s, Beechcraft Baron and Travel Air aircraft, Cessna 441 Conquest IIs, Mitsubishi MU-2s, and Piper PA-31s. The company also operated float-capable and specialist aircraft associated with northern and remote-area flying. In June 2016, West Wind Aviation put forward a letter of intent to purchase Transwest Air. The acquisition was completed with Transwest becoming a West Wind Aviation subsidiary on July 1, 2016. This placed the Transwest operation within a larger Saskatchewan aviation group while preserving its regional operating capabilities. In January 2021, West Wind Aviation and Transwest Air announced that they would be merged and renamed Rise Air. The new organization combined the two businesses under a single identity and continued their involvement in scheduled passenger flights, charter services, remote-community transportation, and aviation support. Rise Air is described as First Nations owned and is headquartered in Saskatoon, with a principal base there. The modern organization operates a mixed fleet that has included Twin Otters, Beechcraft King Air 200s, Beavers, ATR 42-320 and ATR 42-500 aircraft, Beech 1900s, and Saab 340 regional turboprops. It has maintenance bases in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Stony Rapids. It also operates or supports water-aerodrome facilities at La Ronge, Stony Rapids, and Southend/Hans Ulricksen Field, reinforcing its ability to serve remote and seasonal destinations. More recent operating priorities have included reviewing the scale of summer float operations and the continued use of Saab 340A aircraft. The company has also stated plans to establish authorized and licensed ATR service and manufacturing capabilities. These initiatives indicate an attempt to broaden the business beyond passenger flying and build a larger technical-services role within Saskatchewan's aviation sector. The Transwest Air name remains relevant as a predecessor identity, but Rise Air is the current canonical brand and organizational subject.

• 2025

  Fleet documentation records 29 aircraft

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  Fleet information cited for January 2025 records 29 aircraft registered with Transport Canada.

• 2023

  Scheduled service network documented

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  Rise Air's scheduled passenger network is documented as serving destinations in and around Saskatchewan.

• 2021

  Rise Air is created

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  West Wind Aviation and Transwest Air merge and adopt the Rise Air name.

• 2016

  Transwest Air becomes a West Wind Aviation subsidiary

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  Following a purchase agreement process, Transwest Air becomes part of West Wind Aviation on July 1.

• 1999

  Floyd Glass dies

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  The founder of Athabaska Airways dies; the company had by then become associated with the later Transwest Air identity.

• 1955

  Athabaska Airways is founded

  [1]Rise Airen.wikipedia.org

  Floyd Glass establishes Athabaska Airways in Saskatchewan after earlier work in government, military, and commercial aviation.

A Saskatchewan-focused regional and utility airline combining scheduled community air service with charter, emergency, industrial, and aircraft-maintenance capabilities.

• Passenger airline services

  Scheduled regional passenger services

  Rise Air provides scheduled regional air transportation primarily within Saskatchewan and to northern communities. The service model is designed for geographically dispersed markets where air travel connects smaller settlements with provincial centres and other regional destinations. The operation uses turboprop aircraft suited to short and medium regional sectors.

• Charter aviation

  Charter services

  The company provides charter flying for passenger, fishing, tourism, industrial, and other specialized requirements. Charter work complements the scheduled network and allows aircraft and crews to be deployed to destinations or missions not covered by regular timetables.

• Utility aviation

  Specialized aviation operations

  Rise Air has operated aerial surveying, forest-fire-fighting support, and medevac services. These activities use the airline's utility aircraft, operational bases, and regional knowledge to support public-sector, emergency, resource, and remote-community needs.

• 2021

  Merger creates Rise AirM&A

  Background

  West Wind Aviation and Transwest Air had complementary regional airline, charter, maintenance, and specialist aviation capabilities.

  Action taken

  The two organizations were merged and renamed Rise Air.

  Aftermath

  The merger established the current First Nations-owned Saskatchewan airline and consolidated the predecessor companies' operations under one identity.

  Source

• 2016

  West Wind Aviation acquires Transwest AirM&A

  Background

  Transwest Air was an established Saskatchewan regional and specialist aviation operator, while West Wind Aviation was building a broader provincial aviation group.

  Action taken

  West Wind Aviation purchased Transwest Air, with the transaction taking effect on July 1, 2016.

  Aftermath

  Transwest Air operated as a subsidiary of West Wind Aviation until the two organizations were later combined under the Rise Air name.

  Source

• Expansion into ATR technical servicesStrategy

  Background

  Rise Air operates ATR aircraft and maintains aviation facilities in several Saskatchewan communities.

  Action taken

  The company has stated plans to become an authorized and licensed ATR service and manufacturing centre.

  Aftermath

  The plan could expand the company’s maintenance and manufacturing role, although the supplied sources do not document its completion.

  Source

1. 1Rise Airen.wikipedia.org