# Nolinor Aviation

Les Investissements Nolinor Inc., trading as Nolinor Aviation, is a charter airline based in Mirabel, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It operates passenger charter and cargo services within Canada and to the United States. Its main base is Montréal–Mirabel International Airport. It has 200 employees.

## History

The airline was established in 1992 and started operations in 1997. Since June 1999 it has also been authorized to provide its own aircraft maintenance.
In 2001, the company bought its first fully cargo Convair 580 and started providing cargo service to the United States and the northern region of Canada. In order to respond to the growing cargo market, Nolinor Aviation bought two more full cargo Convair 580s in 2004. In 2006, the fourth passenger Convair 580 was purchased.
In 2004, the Prud'Homme family trust became the majority stockholder. Expanding very rapidly, Nolinor needed more space for its Convair 580 fleet and in 2005 the company moved its maintenance facilities to Mirabel International Airport. The new hangar provides more than 9,300 m$^2$ (100,000 sq ft) and is able to accommodate aircraft like the Boeing 747-200, 777-300, 767, Airbus A310, and A320. The pavement has more than 28,000 m$^2$ (300,000 sq ft). and provides sufficient parking space for all the Nolinor Convair 580s and other maintenance clients.
In 2006, the company was named one of the best enterprises in the province of Quebec by the National Bank of Canada. Nolinor is taking its share of the market outside the Quebec region.
In 2007, Nolinor Aviation acquired two ex-Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-200 combis (freight/passenger).
In 2011, Nolinor acquired another 737-200 full freighter, for its cargo operations.
In 2013, Nolinor began charter service from the Region of Waterloo International Airport to Mary River Aerodrome via Iqaluit Airport using a Boeing 737-200 with three times weekly service and a fourth flight every other week. This service has since ended.
In 2014, Nolinor added a Learjet 31 corporate jet to its fleet.
In 2016, Nolinor Aviation added a 737-300 to its fleet.
In September 2017, Nolinor participated in the rescue of stranded passengers from Air France Flight 066 which made an emergency landing at Goose Bay Airport in Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, after experiencing an engine loss over the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers were ferried to their original destination at Los Angeles International Airport, with a stop at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.
In 2020, the Montreal Alouettes and Nolinor Aviation planned to team up for the next ten years, as Nolinor remained the club's official charter flight partner. This new deal went even further than the previous one, as a Boeing 737 plane was personalized with the team's logo and colours.
Nolinor also launched OWG, a new airline, to offer a unique travel experience to tropical destinations.

## Operations

Nolinor's primary bases of operations include:
* Montréal–Mirabel International Airport
* Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (Montréal–Dorval International Airport)
* Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
* Region of Waterloo International Airport
* Val-d'Or Airport

## Livery

In 2003, the Netherlands-based airline branding firm Lila Design re-designed Nolinor's logo and aircraft paint design into a stylized white, blue and gold image.

## Incidents and accidents

* On 27 November 2024, a Boeing 737-408 (registered C-GGWX), suffered a left-hand main gear collapse during a flapless landing on runway 24 at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport. There were no injuries. The aircraft departed Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport at 14:58 UTC on a flight to Saguenay-Bagotville Airport. A fault indication made the crew abort the approach to Saguenay-Bagotville Airport and divert to Mirabel. During landing the left engine nacelle struck the runway and the aircraft slid to a stop. The aircraft was substantially damaged.

## Fleet

The Nolinor Aviation fleet includes the following aircraft (as of August 10, 2024)
Nolinor fleet :
| Aircraft | TC number | NRL number | Variants | Notes |
| Aerospatiale AS350 | 1 | - | AS350 B2 | Helicopter, not listed at Nolinor web site |
| Boeing 737 | 9 | 9 | 737-200 | All planes combi aircraft, 119 seats maximum, outfitted with gravel kits. Capable of carrying more than 30,000 lb (14,000 kg) of cargo. Aircraft C-GNLK has the distinction of being the oldest 737 and oldest jet airliner in commercial passenger operation today, having operated since delivery in 1974 (50 years). |
| Boeing 737 Classic | 4 | 2 | 1 - 737-300, 3 - 737-400 | The 300 can be configured for up to 130 seats. The 400 can be configured for 159 passengers maximum. Two 737-400s have been delivered in 2020, one is ex-Xtra Airways and the other is ex-AlbaStar. Whole fleet painted in OWG livery, which is Nolinor's leisure travel wing. According to TC there are three 400 series and according to Nolinor there is one. |
| Boeing 737 Next Generation | 1 | 1 | 737-800 | Delivered October 2020. Painted in OWG livery. Configured for 189 passengers. |
| Cessna 172 | 2 | - | 172L | Training plane, not listed at Nolinor web site |
| Convair CV-340 | 1 | - | CV-340 | Not listed at Nolinor web site |
| Learjet 45 | 2 | - | Lear 45 | Nine passenger corporate jet for executive transport. Not listed at Nolinor web site |
| Total | 20 | 12 | |