C-GMXQ Douglas DC8-61 of Nationair
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) - 25 May 1985
Douglas Holland and Caz Caswell Note:
Nationair commenced operations in 1984 using DC8 Aircraft and was based in Montreal. The company was able to profit from the 1984 Winter Season by operating
Holiday Charters to the Caribbean, Florida and Mexico. With the started-up phase safely negotiated, the 1985 Summer Season saw the Introduction of regular
Holiday charters to the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
This pattern of operations was repeated in 1986 and through the winter into 1987 when the fleet was increased by acquiring the two DC8-63 Aircraft previously operated by Quebecair
see
Quebecair Notes for 1986-1988
In 1987 the company applied for, and was granted a licence to operate Montreal-Brussels.
The fares on this route were amazingly low for the time and actually would probably be competitive today. Other than this route, the operation of Holiday Charters remained the
main business of the company.
Buoyed by the success of the Montreal-Brussels operation, Nationair applied for a liceence to operate to London. Although granted in 1988, the route was less than ideal as it was
Hamilton-Gatwick, rather than Montreal.A licence was also granted to serve Manchester.
By mid-1989, Canada was slipping into recession leading to the collapse of a number of Canadian Airlines during 1989 and 1990 including Odyssey International - see:
C-FNBC Boeing 757-28A of Odyssey International
and Worldways Canada - see:
C-GRYN Boeing 707-338C of Worldways
Nationair saw an opportunity, and seized it, taking over both the Contracts and some of the Aircraft of these two Airlines. But to continue to thrive Nationair also diversified its operations, with Trooping Contracts for the
Canadian Armed Services to Europe and wet leasing to European and North African Carriers. it also entered the profitable, but short annual Hadj Season market.
Whilst there were a variety of other factors, coming into play over the next few years,
it was the tragic accident to C-GMXQ (the Aircraft Pictured) on departing Jeddah on the 11 July 1991, whilst on Hadj Operations
and the loss of 261 lives
that started Nationair's decline.
Whilst the accident investigation itself resulted in a temporary cutback in service and several DC-8s were withdrawn from operations, there were other dark clouds gathering around the company.
With labour disputes, investigations into some of the other alleged Operational Activities and increasingly close legislative oversight of the company at all levels, the financial situation declined with increasing rapidity.
To keep afloat the company began disposing of the Aircraft it owned, relying on its fleets of leased aircraft to maintain operations. The next to go were the scheduled Services, but to no avail as in
March 1993 the Airline went first into a Creditor Protection arrangement and then in April ceased operations and went into bankruptcy.
A site that looks at the 'darker side' of Nationair and has a lot of information on the Jeddah Accident - see:
Nationair Canada History on the Web
also see:
C-GMXY Douglas DC8-62 of Nationair (Next Picture)
For more about the Douglas DC-8 Series see:
Boeing History - Douglas DC-8
also
Boeing Commercial - Douglas DC-8 Family
and
Douglas DC-8 - Wikipedia Entry
