In April 1973, Transair, then Canada's fourth largest airline, hired Rosella Bjornson as its first female First Officer. Bjornson flew the Fokker F28 jet. She was the first woman member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association.[3]
International expansion brought the introduction of jet aircraft in the form of the Boeing 737-200 in May 1970. The 737-200 jetliner was used to provide charter flights to Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico, and also operated scheduled passenger services in Canada. In 1972 the Fokker F28 Fellowship twinjet was introduced into scheduled service on Canadian routes followed by the intercontinental version of the Boeing 707 a year later. The Boeing 707-320C was used strictly for charter flights, primarily to international destinations. By 1976 the scheduled route network extended throughout Canada from Toronto in the east to Whitehorse in the west with charter flights being operated to Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida and other destinations in the U.S.[4]
According to the February 1976 edition of the North American Official Airline Guide (OAG), Transair was operating daily scheduled service with either Boeing 737 or Fokker F28 aircraft direct between Toronto (YYZ) and Winnipeg (YWG), with intermediate stops in Sault Ste. Marie (YAM), Thunder Bay (YQT) and Dryden (YHD). One stop, direct jet service was flown as well six days a week from Toronto to Winnipeg via Thunder Bay. Another scheduled route flown by Transair with the Boeing 737 jetliner at this time from Winnipeg served the Resolute Bay Airport (YRB) in far-northern arctic Canada. Resolute is located approximately 1,700 kilometers (1060 miles) from the North Pole and is the second-northernmost destination in Canada to receive scheduled passenger airline service (Griese Fjord is slightly farther north.) Also, according to the OAG at this time, Transair was operating scheduled jet service with the Boeing 737 and/or Fokker F28 between its Winnipeg hub and Churchill (YYQ), Flin Flon (YFO), Gillam (YGX), Lynn Lake (YYL), The Pas (YQD), Thompson (YTH) and Yellowknife (YZF), with Whitehorse (YXY) being added by that spring. In 1973 The Airport in Dryden Ontario had a gravel strip. The route to Dryden was serviced by the 737-200.
In 1977 Pacific Western Airlines bought most of the shares of Transair. Considerable financial losses then led to a reduction in flight operations. As losses continued, the licences and routes were transferred to Pacific Western Airlines on 1 December 1979 and Transair ceased to exist.[5]
Destinations in 1976
According to the May 25, 1976 Transair route system map, the airline was operating scheduled passenger service to the following destinations in Canada.[4] Also in 1976, Transair was operating scheduled jet service with the Boeing 737-200 and/or Fokker F28 Fellowship into those destinations noted in bold typeface:[6]
^Dec. 15, 1978 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American Edition, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon & Winnipeg flight schedules, Transair service effective Feb. 4, 1979 as noted by the OAG
