Airline Counter: 34
Kalitta Air
Kalitta Air, one of the largest US Cargo airlines, dates to 1967 as Connie Kalitta Services, a single-plane cargo operation. By 1984, the airline had grown into American International Airways (AIA), flying cargo and passenger services, in addition to serving in the US’s involvement in the Middle East (for which it won awards). AIA faced financial challenges throughout the remainder of the 1900s, briefly merged with Kitty Hawk Inc in 1997, and eventually ceased operations in 2000. The company’s original founder, Conrad Kalitta, resurrected the airline as the modern Kalitta Air that same year.
LATAM
LATAM airlines, now Latin America’s largest airline, was founded in 2012 following the merger of LAN Airlines (Chile’s flag carrier, founded 1932) and TAM Airlines (Brazil’s flag carrier, originating in 1961 from Taxi Aereo Marilia, a taxi service originally from the Brazilian city of Marilia) and now serves as a pan-national carrier for much of South America’s population. In the 1960s, LAN entered the jet age with the Sud Aviation Caravelle and Boeing 727 allowing improved transatlantic reach. Interestingly, LAN became the first airline to fly over Antarctica in 1956 (on a sightseeing flight).
Atlas Air
Atlas Air was founded in 1992, leasing aircraft to airlines seeking additional cargo capacity. By the late 1990s, Atlas Air committed to multiple 747-400F and, in the 2000s, 747-8F orders, growing their fleet into what is now the world’s largest 747 fleet (due in part to its rapid retirement from commercial service). Atlas Air also acquired (or partly) Polar Air Cargo and Southern Air, helping to grow its fleet further. In 2024, Yun Express, a Chinese logistics company, announced a partnership with Atlas Air, which would see Atlas Air operate 777F freighters for Yun Express, the latest in a series of international partnerships.
Air Canada
Air Canada was founded in 1937 as Trans Canada Air Lines (TCA), then a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railroad (CNR) under a federal mandate to provide Canada with a flag carrier. The company rebranded to "Air Canada" in 1965; however, serving a bilingual country, it has always been "Air Canada” in French. In 2001, Air Canada acquired Canadian Airlines, then Canada's second largest airline, a major blow to competition in the Canadian aviation market. Air Canada’s updated livery seen here was launched with the airline's 80th anniversary and Canada's sesquicentennial since Confederation in 2017.
Air Canada Cargo
Air Canada Cargo is as old as its parent, with the first flight of Trans Canada Airlines (TCA) in 1937 carrying mail between Vancouver and Seattle. TCA began official cargo flights in the 1950s, rebranded to Air Canada in 1965, and waited until 1977 to establish Air Canada Cargo officially. They operated dedicated cargo aircraft and leveraged the cargo hold on commercial flights. By the 1990s, Air Canada Cargo was withdrawn, although freight was still carried on commercial flights. In 2020, Air Canada Cargo was re-launched with dedicated Boeing 767 aircraft (retired Air Canada passenger aircraft).
FedEx Express
FedEx Express, then Federal Express, founded in 1971 with first flights in 1973, hoping to create a modern system for the quick delivery of goods. The company quickly became a major player in the American - and global - air freight industry; FedEx is now one of the largest cargo airlines in the world in terms of fleet and freight tons flow. To facilitate this, FedEx operates a mammoth fleet of more wide-body, civil aircraft than most airlines in the world, freight or commercial, with destinations to almost every country on Earth. Additionally, FedEx was the American launch customer of the Boeing 777-F in the US and the largest operator.
Air Transat
Air Transat was founded in 1986 with flights a year later. It is one of Canada’s largest airlines and is currently the only major Canadian Airline headquartered in Quebec. The company provides seasonal routes to southern destinations during the Canadian winter and transitions to mainly European destinations during the summer. It has rapidly increased its presence overseas, helped by the addition of the Airbus A321LR. Today, Air Transat has earned a positive reputation as well, being dubbed the World's Best Leisure Airline in 2018 by the Skytrax Airline Awards and receiving similar recognition elsewhere.
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Rouge, a subsidiary of Air Canada, was founded in 2012 . The airline was launched to directly compete with Canada's other low-cost and leisure airlines, like Air Transat, Westjet, and, at the time, Sunwing for largely international destinations (for example to the US, Caribbean, and Europe). However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the retirement of its wide body fleet, Rouge was forced to suspend much of its international network, with a greater focus on North American travel. "Rouge" was chosen by a public naming contest, with flyers calling it very Canadian and easy to remember in both of Canada's official languages.
JetBlue
JetBlue was founded in 1998 as NewAir, a low-cost carrier with a single aircraft fleet based on the A320. This was to provide significantly improved operational costs and allow the company to compete with the US’s already bustling low fare market. However, the airline sought to attract new customers by providing amenities (like entertainment systems) typically excluded from the low-cost market. In its first decade, JetBlue expanded rapidly despite financial challenges, and this continued in the early 2020s, using a new fleet of A321LRs to finally inaugurate direct flights between the US and Europe.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines traces its history to 1932 when McGee Airways and Star Air Services were founded in Alaska. Following the Great Depression, McGee’s tenuous financial position led to a merger with Star Air Services, which itself struggled for many years. By 1937, Star Air Services acquired Alaska Interior Airlines and rebranded to Star Air Lines. Several more acquisitions followed (Alaska was known for it’s highly saturated air market) in 1943: Mirow Air Service, Pollack Airlines, Lavery Airways, and Alaska Airmotive. In 1944, the company rebranded one last time to Alaska Airlines.
Arajet
Arajet was founded in 2022 and is the flag carrier of the Dominican Republic. The company has roots in the Dominican charter airline Dominican Wings founded in 2014. Beginning in 2018, that airline transitioned to a low-cost model and rebranded to Arajet in 2021. In 2023, Arajet launched flights between Toronto and Santo Domingo - the first Dominican airline to fly to Canada - part of a rapid route expansion which also saw flights introduced to the US and elsewhere in the Caribbean. That same year, the CAPA awards recognized Arajet as the Best New Airline in the World.
Caribbean Airlines
Caribbean Airlines is the national airline of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica and one of the largest airlines of the Caribbean islands. Launching in 2007, Caribbean Airlines superseded Trinidad and Tobago’s previous carrier, BWIA (British West Indian Airlines), which had operated in the Caribbean since 1937. The then new livery included a hummingbird on the tail, sa nod to Trinidad's recognition as the "land of the hummingbird". In 2011, the company acquired Air Jamaica, Jamaica's flag carrier, and became the new de facto flag carrier of Jamaica in the process, making Caribbean airlines unique in holding the title of flag carrier for two countries.
American Airlines
American Airlines, the largest airline in the world by passengers carried in 2024, dates to 1930, when 82 small airlines, the oldest from 1926, merged into American Airways. AA first flew in 1936 as American Air Lines and became the launch customer for the famous DC3 in 1936. In 1973, American Airlines became the first major US airline to hire a female pilot (flying the 727). Then, in 1998, the airline became a founding member of the Oneworld Alliance, now the world's third largest airline alliance. American merged with US Airways in 2013 and acquired rival TWA - another American mammoth - in 2001.
United Airlines
United Airlines, the largest airline in the world by fleet size and destinations served in 2024, was founded in 1931 as a subsidiary of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, which was formed in 1929 from the amalgamation of several smaller American companies (the oldest of which dates to 1926 as Valley Air Lines). In 1934, a US ban on joint manufacturing/airline companies forced a split into “United Aircraft” and the “Boeing Airplane Company” for manufacturing and “United Air Lines” for air services. United launched the popular 777 in 1995, co-founded the 1st global airline alliance, star-alliance, in 1997, and merged with Continental Airlines, a large US airline, in 2010.
Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines was founded in 2005 as Flair Air, serving as a Canadian charter and cargo airline currently headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2017, the airline rebranded to Flair Airlines and purchased additional aircraft as it expanded into the passenger market. In 2019, the airline went through another makeover as it bought additional aircraft and began marketing itself as Canada’s premiere low cost carrier. Interestingly, the airline has operated three different generations of Boeing 737 - beginning with the Classic 737-400, then the Next Generation 737-800, and currently the MAX 8.
Westjet
Westjet, Canada’s second largest airline, was established in 1994 following the low cost model pioneered in the US. The airline expanded across Canada, helped by the demise of Canadian Airlines, which was absorbed by Air Canada in 2001. In 2014, Westjet expanded further, launching its first transatlantic route, to Dublin. The following year, WestJet acquired its first wide-body aircraft - the Boeing 767-300(ER) - allowing it to launch frequent flights to Western Europe and compete more evenly with Air Canada. These ageing 767s were retired soon thereafter and replaced by the Boeing 787 after this model proved successful. These aircraft allowed the airline to expand further into Europe and even Asia.
Aeromexico
Aeromexico was established in 1934 as the private air company “Aeronaves de México.” By 1988, suffering from a dated fleet and ineffective management, the airline declared bankruptcy, prompting the creation of a new corporate entity, "Aerovias de Mexico". This is still the airline's corporate title; however it has been known as Aeroméxico since 1972. Aeroméxico became one of the first airlines in Latin America to fly regular flights to Asia, and since the demise of both competing carriers, Varig and VASP of Brazil, the carrier remains one of the only Latin American airlines with regular flights to Asia.
Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines was established in 1982 by a group of previous Braniff International Airways employees after Braniff ceased passenger operations that same year. Braniff was a major American airline operating at its peak over 100 jetliners. Sun Country was launched as a charter airline and began scheduled passenger services in the 1990s. Today, Sun Country operates as an ultra-low cost carrier, a transition that was finalized after the company reorganized in 2017. This change also sees the airline operate cargo services for Amazon Air to offset lower demand during non-peak travel periods.
Air North
Air North was founded in 1977 as “Air North Charters & Training Ltd.,” as the name “Air North” was deemed too similar to existing airlines at the time. The company initially provided services for Yukon mining companies using a small fleet of turbo-props. Over the following decades, Air North expanded its charter operations and launched scheduled passenger services, providing an important link between Yukon and other Canadian provinces. This was helped by successive additions of larger aircraft, including the DC-3, DC-4, and 737 family. In 2024, Air North inaugurated two 737-800s into its fleet.
Sunwing (defunct)
Sunwing was a leading Canadian leisure airline with a major focus on southern destinations (Caribbean, Central America) and was founded in 2005. The airline was Cuba's largest travel provider, sending about 700,000 vacationers to the country each year and at its peak. Given the company’s primary role as a winter holiday airline, Sunwing sent many of their aircraft to Europe to fly under the TUI group (which partners with Sunwing) during Europe’s busy summer months. In 2023, WestJet acquired Sunwing Airlines, and Sunwing was mostly integrated into Westjet’s operations in 2025, raising concerns about a decided lack of competition in the Canadian aviation market.
Swoop Airlines (defunct)
Swoop Airlines was founded in 2017 as an ultra-low cost subsidiary of WestJet. It originally intended to compete against Flair Airlines, another Canadian low cost carrier, and was one of the first in a wave of new Canadian low cost carriers (Lynx, Canadian Jetlines, an expanded Flair), with only Flair remaining at the time of this image. Swoop ceased operations in late 2023, with all assets set to be reabsorbed by WestJet following the ratification of a new union deal with its pilots, which would see Swoop pilots given the same standing as WestJet pilots. This allegedly impaired Swoop’s ability to operate its ultra-low cost model.
Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines, the largest airline in the world by revenue in 2025, honours the Mississippi “Delta,” near which “Huff Daland Dusters,” the world’s first aerial crop-dusting company, was founded in 1925. They entered the U.S. passenger market in 1928 as Delta Air Services. In 1955, Delta launched the revolutionary hub and spoke system and later launched the famous DC-8, Convair 880, and DC-9. Delta then merged with many notable airlines: Northeast Airlines (est. 1931) in 1972, Western Airlines (est. 1925) in 1987, and Northwest Airlines (est. 1926) in 2010. Delta co-founded SkyTeam, one of the 3 major airline alliances, in 2000.
COPA Airlines
COPA Airlines (Compañía Panameña de Aviación), Panama’s flag carrier, launched in 1947 with financial backing from PanAm. Copa initially operated domestically but gradually expanded into the Caribbean and the broader Americas. In 1998, Copa Airlines entered into a broad partnership with now-defunct Continental Airlines, with Continental taking a 49% stake and Copa adopting Continental’s branding and livery. To this day, Copa retains this branding, leading many to confuse the company with United Airlines, as United absorbed Continental in 2010 and gained a Continental-inspired livery.
Aeroflyer
Aeroflyer, the charter aircraft division of KF aerospace (one of the largest provider of commercial aircraft maintenance in Canada), was founded in 2022. The division provides charter flights for various customers, ranging from leisure to employee transports, based out of Canada’s west coast. KF Aerospace (founded as Kelowna Flightcraft in 1970) launched its first flights in 1974 under then subsidiary, Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (KF Cargo), which still flies today (and operates for Aeroflyer). KF Aerospace has since grown mainly as a maintenance and logistics provider, until the launch of Aeroflyer.
Canadian North
Canadian North was founded as Bradley Air Services in 1946, providing charter flights in Northern Canada. After several decades of improving access to the Canadian territories, the airline rebranded to First Air in 1973. By contrast, the original Canadian North was established in 1989 as a subsidiary of Canadian Airlines (then the largest competitor of Air Canada), also to serve these remote regions. In 2019, the two airlines merged, retaining the name Canadian North and with new branding similar that of Air North previously. Today, Canadian North provides a critical link to the Canadian territories.
Nolinor Aviation
Nolinor Aviation was founded in 1992 and is one of the largest Canadian charter airlines. Nolinor provides passenger, cargo, and tanker services, leveraging a fleet of early Boeing 737s (it operates the largest 737-200 fleet in the world) capable of servicing remote regions in Canada generally inaccessibly by other means of transportation. The airline offers multiple cabin configurations of their aircraft, and even serves as the official carrier of the Montreal Alouettes. Nolinor launched OWG Airlines, a subsidiary offering passenger services to the south, which suspended operations in 2025.
Chrono Aviation
Chrono Aviation was founded in 2012 as a Montreal-based charter airline. The company launched with a small Pilatus PC-12 and now operates a diverse fleet, including this 737-200, first delivered to Delta Airlines in 1987 and acquired by Chrono in 2019. The workhorse 737-200 allows operations to remote, northern Canadian airports, and is the only Boeing aircraft capable of using gravel runways. This makes the ageing aircraft very popular with Canadian mining companies; Chrono Aviation secured a contract to serve the Mary River Mine in Nunavut following the acquisition of the 737-200.
Glencore International
This aircraft is operated by Glencore International, a mining company with routes to the Falconbridge “Raglan” nickel mine in 1995 in northern Quebec, which is accessible by ship less than eight months per year. there is no other access other than air, served by this aging Boeing 737-200C (manufactured in 1979). As a combi-737, it transports both passengers (mining employees) and cargo concurrently and fares well in tough conditions; a gravel deflector underneath the forward wheel and vortex dissipators on each engine prevent debris from entering the engines during gravel landings.
Avianca
Avianca traces its history to 1919 with the establishment of SCADTA in Colombia, making the company the second oldest airline in the World. In 1940, SCADTA merged with SACO, regional Colombian airline, to form Avianca. Fast forward to 2010, Avianca Holdings was fully formed, with the merger of TACA (est. 1931) and Avianca, the then flag carriers of San Salvador and Colombia, respectively. Similar mergers happened with other Latin American flag carriers: LACSA (est. 1945) into Avianca Costa Rica, AeroGal (est. 1985) into Avianca Ecuador, Aviateca (est. 1929) into Avianca Guatemala, and TACA Honduras (founded 1981 as Isleña Airlines) into Avianca Honduras. This formed the current pan-Latin American Avianca.
Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines was founded in 2006 as a short-haul Canadian airline based at the unique Billy Bishop Toronto Island Airport. The company provided service throughout the Canadian east coast and New England using a fleet of Bombardier DASH-8 Q400s. Toronto’s Island airport saw significant expansion due to Porter’s operations, with a new terminal and an underground pedestrian tunnel to the city opening allowing seamless connections to Toronto. The airline has since expanded to Pearson using Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, allowing significant expansion into the United States and Western Canada.
BermudAir
BermudAir is the flag carrier of Bermuda and was founded in 2023. The company provides premium quality flights between Bermuda and the Eastern United States and Canadian provinces. The airline is unique in experiencing an uncharacteristically quick certification time between founding and first flight at under a year. This required logistic hurdles to be overcome; for instance, both Embraer E175s of their initial fleet are taken from FlyBe, a now defunct British low cost carrier. BermudAir’s colourful livery takes inspiration from the saturated architecture and diverse ecology found on the island of Bermuda.
Perimeter Aviation
Perimeter Aviation is a small Canadian airline operating charter, scheduled, cargo, and medevac flights primarily to small Manitoba and Ontario communities. The company was founded in 1960 as a charter airline also able to provide maintenance services. By 2001, Perimeter gained the rights to operate air ambulance flights, a critical component of providing equitable health care to small northern settlements. In 2018, Perimeter Aviation and Bearskin Airlines, a similarly sized airline based in Ontario, integrated many operations and schedules. Bearskin was originally founded in 1963 by Bearskin Lake, to serve remote Indigenous communities.
Propair
Propair is another small Canadian airline operating charter, cargo, and medevac flights using a fleet of propeller prop aircraft. The airline dates to 1954 when La Sarre Air Services was acquired by Emilien Pronovost who, seeing a business opportunity, used its fleet to provide charter services to northern Quebec where road infrastructure was scarce. In 1983, the company acquired Air Fecteau, another small Quebec airline, and rebranded to Propair. The airline gradually expanded away from bush plane services to include medevac and business operations.
Latitude Air Ambulance
Latitude Air Ambulance was founded in 2009 and dedicates its small fleet of small jets and turboprops to providing medevac, patient transfer, repatriation, and even organ transfer flights, in addition to other aeromedical services. The airline has operated around the globe, having flown to 120 different countries in all permanently populated continents. The company’s ability to handle the administrative side of medevac operations in addition to flight operations has cemented it as one of the only aeromedical airlines that operates in Canada to such a scale.