The airline was incorporated on 6 March 1964, founded by Albert Briand. Services commenced in June with a cooperation with Eastern Provincial Airways, allowing codesharing with EPA's Douglas DC-3 between Saint-Pierre and Sydney. However, the codesharing was terminated in October. Air Saint-Pierre thereafter started conducting charter flights with a Piper Aztec. A second unit was procured in 1966, the same year as the founder died. The airline continued its cooperation with EPA, including hiring the latter for maintenance.[4]
The Saint-Pierre to Sydney route resumed under operation of Air Saint-Pierre in 1971. At first they flew using a Beechcraft Model 18, and three years later this was increased to flights using a DC-3. In 1976 the DC-3 was sold and replaced with a Hawker Siddeley HS 748. Miquelon Airport opened in 1979, allowing Air Saint-Pierre to commence an inter-island service to the larger island of Miquelon-Langlade. The same year the pooling between EPA and Air Saint-Pierre resumed on the Saint-Pierre to Sydney route.[4]
A Piper Chieftain was bought in 1981 and a maintenance contract with signed with Fundy Aviation. In 1986 the HS 748 was with a new of the same model and maintenance of the fleet moved to the island the following year. This coincided with the opening of a route from Saint-Pierre to Montreal. The fleet was increased in 1990 with the procurement of a second HS 748.[4]
An ATR 42-320 was bought in 1994 and the following year the two Hawker Siddeleys were sold. The airline opened a service to St. John's with three weekly round trips. Moncton was added as a destination in 2001, with a weekly summer service.[4] The airline bought its Reims-Cessna F406 in 2003 and put into service on the inter-island route. It was chosen in part for its short-run performance.[5] This allowed the Chieftain to be decommissioned the following year. The initial ATR was sold in 2009 and replaced on 21 October with a newer and more modern ATR 42-500.[4]
Destinations
Air Saint-Pierre is based at Saint-Pierre Airport in the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. It flies up to four round trips a day to the other airport in the collectivity, Miquelon. It makes scheduled services to five airports in Canada, typically operating one to two weekly services to Montreal, three weekly services to St. John's, three to four weekly services to Halifax and two weekly summer services to the Magdalen Islands.[6][7] Air Saint-Pierre offers transit services in conjunction with Air France flights from Montreal to Paris, and has summer connections via Halifax and Dublin with ASL Airlines France.[8] Air Saint-Pierre flies transatlantic to Paris, once a week during the peak season, are operated by ASL using a Boeing 737-700.[9]
