Thunder Airlines expands.

The sky is no longer the limit.

Thunder Airlines is adding more aircraft to the tarmac at their Sudbury and Timmins bases.

Presently, the Thunder Bay operation has a fleet of 11 aircraft and 110 employees. Over the past year, they have expanded their Ontario charter and air ambulance services in Timmins.

Ron Basaraba, vice-president of charter sales, customer services and new developments, says up until last year, their Timmins and Sudbury operations were strictly air ambulance providers on the standing offer agreement with the Ministry of Health for the last 10 years.

"We never really pursued the other half of our business (charter market) in these areas," Basaraba says.

Within the last year, they expanded from one aircraft to four and added 12 staff at the Timmins Airport for charter flight service. As of May 1, 2005, Thunder Airlines adds a charter aircraft to their Sudbury base as well. Three pilots will be hired to the seven-person staff.

Harley Nikkel, Timmins airport manager, has had no problem accommodating the increased business.

"It's a Cessna Caravan operation Monday, Wednesday and Friday," he says. "We're most happy to have them."

The influx in air traffic is partly contributed to Thunder Airlines' most recent contract with De Beers in January 2005. Basaraba says the contract is classified under light air transportation.

"We're flying manpower and freight up the coast to the Victor mine site on the 5,000-foot ice strip," Basaraba says. "With the nicer weather, we are now going into Attawapiskat."

Nikkel says there will be opportunities for larger aircraft once the mine gets into the construction and development stage.

"It's anticipated that they'll require larger freight aircraft and possibly a larger passenger carrying aircraft."

The steel and forestry industries have contributed to the need for more charter air services in the North, according to Basaraba. Traffic from Northern Ontario School of Medicine officials between Sudbury and Thunder Bay and clients from the Ministry of Natural Resources in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins have also spurred growth for a charter service in Sudbury.

Basaraba believes the Sudbury area is under-served.

"We feel there is a market to be based right in Sudbury."

Although the Sudbury airport has two other charter services--Eagle Flight Service and Central North Airways--director of airport services Bob Johnston views Thunder Airlines' expansion as positive news.

"I think any growth is important to our airport," Johnston says. "What we're seeing is in response to some of the mining activity going on. There's more demand on that type of service and they're filling the niche."

The company's small and flexible nature makes them more attractive.

"We're not a scheduled airline," Basaraba says. "We go where our customers want to go."

Thunder Airlines' King Air A-100 turbo prop aircrafts can get into the remote communities that Air Canada's jets can't. All they need is a 3,500-foot runway.

According to Basaraba, there is a large market for companies, contractors and business people to be more efficient in the way they conduct business.

"If customers today can have the volume of people (six to nine), they find it's more convenient to go and do their business and come home the same day," Basaraba says.

www.thunderair.com

By ADELLE LARMOUR

For Northern Ontario Business