Air Cascadia | ||||
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Founded | 2009; 1980 (Horizon Air) | |||
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Commenced operations | 1 Jan. 2010; 1 Sept. 1981 | |||
Hubs | Seattle-Tacoma International Portland International Airport Kenmore Air Harbor | |||
Frequent flyer program | Pacifica Blue | |||
Member lounge | Board Room | |||
Fleet size | 81 | |||
Destinations | ~75 | |||
Parent company | Pan-Pacifican Airways | |||
Company slogan | Wings of the Great Northwest | |||
Headquarters | Seattle-Tacoma International | |||
Key people | James Senigal (CA) Paula Hammond (MOT) | |||
Website | cascadia.air.pr |
Air Cascadia is a regional airline based in Sea-Tac, Pacifica. It is the eighth largest regional airline in the former United States, serving an international community in the Pacific Northwest. Air Cascadia, formerly Horizon Air, is owned by Pan-Pacifican Airways (formerly Alaska Airlines) and serves as its sister carrier for regional services. As Horizon Air, a codeshare partnership was developed with America Airlines but has since been canceled following the United States-led Pacifican War. It is a codeshare partner of Delta Air Lines.
History[]
Beginnings; Independent Airline[]
Horizon Air was formed in May 1981 by Milt Kuolt, and began operation on 1 September 1981 with three Fairchild F-27 aircraft. The airline was formed as a merger of Horizon Airlines and Air Oregon. Its headquarters are located in Sea-Tac, Pacifica.
Horizon Air's first route was from Yakima to Seattle and Pasco to Seattle. The general offices of Horizon Air were operated out of an old house behind Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. By 1983 the airline was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. To develop a solution, Horizon agreed to purchase Transwestern Airlines of Utah in an attempt to reduce the operating deficit of the airline. A single Fokker F28 was the first jet owned by the airline, purchased from a carrier in Africa in July 1984, however previously they had been leasing a Douglas DC-9.
1984 saw Horizon's first profitable year as the company went public, which was needed to keep it afloat. On 8 September 1985, Horizon signed an agreement with de Haviland Canada to being purchasing the airline's first brand of new aircraft: the de Haviland Dash 8. In the summer of that year, Horizon entered into its first codeshare agreement with United Airlines, which attracted the attention of Alaska Airlines who, a year later, purchased Horizon.
After the Purchase by Alaska Airlines[]
After the purchase by Alaska Airlines, Horizon signed a codeshare agreement with Northwest Airlines in 1988 and began operating internationally a year later with service to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
In the mid-1990s, Horizon became the launch customer for the Dornier 328 turboprop}}, intending to replace its aging fleet of Fairchild Metroliners as the Dornier promised jetliner speed and comfort. They were quickly phased out however in 1997 in favor of fleet standardization around the Dash-8.
In Spring 2007, Horizon launched service from Los Angeles and Seattle to Santa Rosa, California to take advantage of the burgeoning wine and tourism industry. The routes proved so popular that in the Fall of that year, Horizon began non-stop service to Santa Rosa from Portland, Oregon and expanded Los Angeles to Santa Rosa.
Along with its parent company, Alaska Airlines, the company was renamed Air Cascadia, ironically similar to one of its main competitors during the 1980s. During the duration of the Pacifican War, it grounded most of its flights with the exception of President Ray Matveyev's regional turboprop. In June 2009, it acquired local airline Kenmore Air for local service.
Destinations[]
Air Cascadia operates to 47 regional and international locations as well as 30 other locations using Kenmore Air's seaplanes. Bold designate hubs.
Fleet[]
Air Cascadia operates 80 regular aircraft and two outfitted for the President of the Democratic Republic of the Pacific: one jet (CRJ700) and one turboprop (Cessna Grand Caravan) in use for regional flights.
Aircraft | Total (Orders) | Passengers (All economy) |
Bombardier Q400 | 37 (11) | 74 |
Bombardier CRJ700 | 18 | 70 (one presidential) |
Cessna 180 | 2 | 5 |
de Haviland DHC-2 Beaver | 8 | 6 |
de Haviland DHC-2 Turbo Beaver | 2 | 8 |
de Haviland DHC-3 Otter | 6 | 10 |
Piper PA-18 Super Cub | 2 | 3 (trainers) |
Cessna C-208-B Grand Caravan | 4 | 12 |
Services[]
Since 1991, Starbucks coffee has been served in-flight on all planes, and is brewed at the terminal and served in thermos containers. It has also gained a reputation of supporting local businesses, and as such has earned a special contract to fly all business flights for the Common Workers' Party. Air Cascadia has been known to serve local Northwest beer and wine, as well as other beverages, such as Jones Soda.
Unlike its parent, Pan-Pacifican Airways, Air Cascadia has no plan to install in-flight entertainment systems.
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