What Calm Air does

Calm Air International LP is a regional airline headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, operating scheduled passenger, cargo, and charter services to 22 remote communities across Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Canada. Founded in 1962 and owned since 2009 by Exchange Income Corporation (TSX-listed parent focused on essential northern aviation), the airline deploys a fleet of nine ATR-72s, five ATR-42s, and one wet-leased Boeing 737-400 on a hub-and-spoke network anchored at Rankin Inlet with twice-daily frequency into Winnipeg; the ATR aircraft are gravel-strip certified and configured with oversized freight doors (5'7" x 8'9") to support oversized cargo, live animals, dangerous goods, and a free country foods shipping program for Nunavut Inuit households. Crew and maintenance infrastructure is concentrated in Rankin Inlet (regional hub with maintenance base and crew residence) and Thompson (heavy maintenance facility), with the company's official headquarters at 930 Ferry Road adjacent to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Revenue is generated through four branded fare tiers (FLY, FLYflex, FLYplus, SOAR) with progressively bundled baggage and flexibility, dedicated cargo tonnage (general, priority, country foods, live animals, dangerous goods), charter operations routed through the Charter Connexions multi-carrier logistics platform, and ancillary fees on baggage, pet transport, special items, and seat selection. Customer mix is concentrated in geographically isolated Indigenous and Inuit residents dependent on air service for medical, food, and supply access, supplemented by corporate and group charters, Inuit organization (NTI/KIA) beneficiary travelers, and cargo shippers. The company sells through its own call center (1-800-839-2256), airport counters at 14+ locations, online and mobile booking (m.calmair.com), travel agents via Air Canada interline distribution, the Avis/Budget car rental co-marketing partnership, and Flex Pay installment financing via Uplift. Headcount sits in the 501-1000 range; revenue is not publicly disclosed at the subsidiary level. Recent operational milestones include Flin Flon scheduled service resumption in July 2025, third consecutive Manitoba's Top Employers recognition (2026), and the 2026 Lieutenant Governor's Award for community contribution.

Name

Calm Air

Legal name

Calm Air International LP

Website

https://calmair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Calm Air International LP is a Canadian regional airline serving 22 remote communities across Northern Manitoba and Nunavut's Kivalliq region, operating ATR turboprops and a wet-leased 737 on a twice-daily hub-and-spoke network anchored from Rankin Inlet to Winnipeg, with integrated passenger, cargo, charter, and Inuit beneficiary services under parent Exchange Income Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Air Transportation

NAICS

Scheduled Air Transportation (48111), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Turboprop Regional Airlines (THABACAJ)

Keywords

• Regional air transportation
• Scheduled passenger flights
• Air cargo services
• Northern charter aviation
• Remote community air services

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Passenger Services: Core revenue from scheduled passenger flights across 22 communities in Manitoba and Nunavut. Multiple fare brands (FLY, FLYflex, FLYplus, SOAR) with varying baggage allowances and flexibility. Additional ancillary revenue from seat selection, baggage fees, and change fees.
2. Cargo and Freight Services: Freight transportation on scheduled flights and dedicated cargo aircraft. General and Priority cargo service. Country Foods program provides free shipping within Kivalliq region for traditional foods. Live animal shipping and dangerous goods handling.
3. Charter Services: Charter operations coordinated through Charter Connexions for groups, corporate travel, and freight movements using ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft.
4. Ancillary Services: Pet travel (cabin and cargo), excess baggage, unaccompanied minor service, special services (wheelchair, oxygen), gift cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Calm Air operates scheduled passenger and cargo air services to 22 remote communities across Northern Manitoba and Nunavut's Kivalliq region, using a hub-and-spoke model centered at Rankin Inlet with twice-daily frequency to Winnipeg. The airline operates a fleet of ATR-42 and ATR-72 turboprop aircraft configured for passenger, cargo, or combination operations, with specialized gravel airstrip and ice strip capabilities. It also provides charter services coordinated through Charter Connexions for groups, corporate travel, and freight movements, complemented by ancillary offerings such as branded fares, loyalty programs, and installment payment financing.

Product overview

Calm Air International LP is a regional airline providing essential passenger and cargo air services to 22 remote communities across Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Canada. The company operates a multi-product portfolio consisting of scheduled passenger flights with four branded fare tiers (FLY, FLYflex, FLYplus, SOAR), comprehensive cargo services including general, priority, live animal, dangerous goods, and country foods shipping, and charter services coordinated through Charter Connexions. Loyalty offerings include the proprietary Calm Rewards program, plus partnerships with Aeroplan and Blue Rewards. Payment options include standard booking and Flex Pay installment financing through Uplift. Additional services encompass group and corporate travel, gift cards, comprehensive baggage handling, pet travel, special items transportation, and accessibility services. The airline connects passengers through Air Canada interline agreements and offers car rental partnerships with Avis and Budget.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charter Connexions: A logistics solution launched in 2016 for charter customers of Calm Air, Perimeter Aviation, Keewatin Air, and Custom Helicopters, focusing on enhanced customer care, asset management, and flight coordination.

Products and services

• Scheduled Passenger Flights Regional airline service connecting 22 communities across Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, including flights between Winnipeg and remote Arctic communities, with four branded fare tiers.
• Cargo Services Air cargo transportation including general and priority service, live animal shipping, dangerous goods handling, and country foods with free shipping within Kivalliq region, supporting business and community supply chains.
• Charter Services Charter service for groups, corporate travel, and freight movements using ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft, coordinated through Charter Connexions.
• Country Foods Service Free shipping service for traditional Nunavut country foods (caribou, musk ox, ducks, ptarmigan, beluga whales, arctic char, seal, polar bear meat) within Kivalliq region for personal consumption.
• Live Animals Shipping Pet and live animal cargo transport including unaccompanied pets, with hard-sided kennels and dimensional weight charges.
• Dangerous Goods Handling Specialized handling for hazardous materials including aerosols, batteries, flammable liquids, oxidizers, radioactive material, and other regulated substances per Transport Canada requirements.
• Calm Rewards Calm Air's proprietary loyalty program allowing members to earn points towards future travel on the airline's network.
• Blue Rewards

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charter ConnexionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Logistics solution launched in 2016 serving charter customers of Calm Air, Perimeter Aviation, Keewatin Air, and Custom Helicopters. Provides improved customer care, asset management, access to varied aircraft, and enhanced flight coordination.
• Air CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInterline agreement allowing customers to book single reservations for travel across both networks. Connects Calm Air's northern routes with Air Canada's global network. Baggage rules follow the carrier whose code appears on the first flight segment.
• AvisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCar rental partnership offering Calm Air passengers up to 30% off base rates at Winnipeg locations including airport counter.
• BudgetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCar rental partnership offering Calm Air passengers up to 35% off base rates at Winnipeg locations including airport counter.
• Canadian NorthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWet-leases Boeing 737-400 aircraft primarily used for travel between Winnipeg and Rankin Inlet. 72-seat configuration with 34,000 lbs maximum payload.
• Perimeter AviationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner airline under Charter Connexions initiative, combining strengths of multiple northern carriers for enhanced charter services.
• Keewatin AirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner airline under Charter Connexions initiative, combining strengths of multiple northern carriers for enhanced charter services.
• Kivalliq Inuit AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Land Acknowledgement and reconciliation efforts. Collaborates on Truth and Reconciliation initiatives with Indigenous communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Perimeter Aviation: Manitoba-based sister airline under Exchange Income Corporation and partner in the Charter Connexions network; serves overlapping northern Manitoba routes with similar turboprop fleet and base infrastructure.
• PAL Airlines: Eastern Canadian regional airline operating turboprop service to remote Newfoundland, Labrador, and Quebec communities under a similar essential-services/mandated-route profile.
• Wasaya Airways: Ontario Indigenous-owned regional carrier serving remote First Nations communities with turboprop service, a comparable niche essential-air-services model in a different province.
• Air North: Yukon-based regional carrier operating turboprop and jet services to remote communities and charter customers; mirrors Calm Air's essential-service, northern-Canada business model.
• Canadian North: Calm Air's principal competitor in the Kivalliq/Nunavut essential air services market; both serve the same remote Inuit communities and partner via interline and wet-lease arrangements (Canadian North provides 737 capacity to Calm Air).
• North-Wright Airways: Northwest Territories-based regional carrier serving remote communities along the Mackenzie Valley and Sahtu with turboprop aircraft, comparable scale and remote-operation economics.
• Air Creebec: Quebec Cree-owned regional carrier operating scheduled turboprop service to remote James Bay/Northern Quebec communities, with a comparable Indigenous-community essential-service charter profile.
• Keewatin Air: Nunavut-based charter and scheduled operator that is a Charter Connexions partner alongside Calm Air, providing overlapping northern passenger and medevac services in the Kivalliq region.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Coastal Airlines: BC-based regional carrier operating a larger turboprop/jet network; overlaps with Calm Air on the regional-turboprop business model and charter segment, though in a markedly larger and more accessible market.

Regional players

• Central Mountain Air: Alberta/BC turboprop regional operating scheduled and charter services to smaller communities; comparable fleet type and remote-airport operations but with a different geographic footprint and weaker regulatory moat than Calm Air.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/calmair
• Facebookfacebook.com/CalmAirInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1847936
• Instagraminstagram.com/calmair

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calm Air