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Founded | 1958 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 1983 | as Air Ontario Ltd||||||
Ceased operations | 1987 (merged with Austin Airways to form Air Ontario Inc.) | ||||||
Operating bases | Toronto Pearson International Airport | ||||||
Headquarters | Sarnia, Ontario, Canada | ||||||
Key people |
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Great Lakes Airlines was a regional airline in Canada. It was formed in 1958[1] in Sarnia, Ontario by John Blunt and by 1983 became Air Ontario Ltd.[2] In June 1987 Air Ontario Ltd. merged with Austin Airways to form Air Ontario Inc.[2] which in turn subsequently operated Air Canada Connector code sharing passenger flights on behalf of Air Canada[2] with Convair 580 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 series 100 and 300 turboprops. Air Ontario also operated Fokker F28 Fellowship jets at one point.[2]
Aircraft in service with Great Lakes during the 1970s, being Convair 440 propliners and Convair 580 turboprops, were older and subject to vibrations during take-off, resulting in passengers nicknaming the company "Great Shakes". Convair 580 turboprops operated by Air Ontario prompted the nickname "Scare Ontario".