Air Bravo expands to northwest.

• Author: Wareing, Andrew
• Position: Special Report: Elliot Lake/North Shore - Air Bravo Corp. adds the third plane in the company's fleet

Expanding business to service Thunder Bay is an indication Air Bravo Corp.'s business is taking flight, says the company's co-owner.

Air Bravo Corp., based in Elliot Lake, recently announced that it had expanded its fleet to include a Pilatus PC-12. The plane is the third in the company's fleet that includes two Rockwell 700s. The new plane is being leased from V. Kelner Pilatus Centre and will operate out of Thunder Bay.

"What we're doing is using it for an air ambulance, but we will also be using it for our charter service," says company co-owner Rick Horwath. "We can do private charters both domestically in Canada and into the United States."

Between 80 to 85 per cent of the company's business is in its service as an air ambulance, which is relatively immune to the impact of economic downturns, he says. The remainder is in passenger and executive chartering.

"There are still people in the northern communities that need to be moved and the most efficient way to do that is by air," says Horwath. "We stay diversified and stay open to whatever is needed."

The new aircraft is a single propeller, long-range multi-use aircraft that is able to fly up to a height of 29,000 feet and go from Fort Severn to Toronto without a single fuel stop. It is also easily converted from an air ambulance to a commuter or executive-style charter.

Horwath says that he and company co-owner Paul Monk decided six months ago that an addition to the fleet was a good idea. After four months of consideration from a variety of agencies, including Transportation Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health, the new plane was in service.

He...