Rise Air Celebrates 70 Years of Service 

October 4, 2025 in News
Explorer: Fall 2025

Floyd Glass with Athabaska Airways Cessna 310 in the spring of 1997.

In 2025, Rise Air is proudly celebrating 70 years of service to the people of Saskatchewan’s north. 

The province’s largest airline traces its roots back to 1955, when aviation entrepreneur Floyd Glass established Athabaska Airways, beginning operations with a single four-seat Cessna 180 bush plane. His first contract was to carry 2,000 lb of gravel, seven bags at a time, from La Ronge to Emmeline Lake. 

Jim soon had competition from Pat Campling Sr., who founded La Ronge Aviation in 1960, and then from Dennis Goll, when he created West Wind Aviation in 1983. 

Floyd, Pat and Dennis all had a vision for northern operations that left little room for others. Their airlines were transformed through mergers and acquisitions, until they became the province’s dominant carriers. 

By 2000, Floyd and Pat had passed ownership of their companies to their children, Jim Glass and Pat Campling Jr. who agreed to merge their companies to create Transwest Air. Dennis strengthened West Wind when he invited First Nations communities to become his partners. 

Then, in 2016, West Wind Aviation purchased Transwest Air. They operated as separate companies until they consolidated in 2021. Unifying the largest players in Saskatchewan’s aviation sector brought together resources and expertise, streamlined operations, and enhanced service delivery across the northern region. It led to the airline’s rebranding as Rise Air, a name its staff chose to reflect a new era for air travel in Saskatchewan’s north. 

Today, Rise Air stands out not only for its extensive service network but also for its ownership structure. With ownership shared between Athabasca Basin Development (ABD) and Prince Albert Development Corporation (PADC), the airline is now one of Canada’s largest Indigenous owned airlines. The company partners with local organizations to support training and employment opportunities for First Nation community members, fostering pathways into the aviation industry for pilots, flight attendants, maintenance engineers, and diverse corporate positions. 

With over 300 people working in communities from Saskatoon all the way north to Fond-du-Lac, Rise Air provides public scheduled flights, workforce transportation, medevacs, and other services for customers ranging from major mining companies to Canada Post, school boards, and provincial court services. Its scheduled flights connect Saskatoon and Prince Albert with frequent service to La Ronge, Stony Rapids and Black Lake, Fond du Lac, Uranium City, and Wollaston Lake. Rise Air relies on its partner Snowbird Aviation to provide passenger service, cargo handling, fuelling and de-icing at most destinations. 

Today, the airline operates a modern fleet of 24 turbine aircraft, seating from eight passengers to 44, with 68-seat aircraft on order. Most are fast and pressurized, and many are no different from aircraft operated by airlines across southern Canada. There’s one tiny exception. In a tribute to its rich heritage, Rise Air still retains a single de Havilland Beaver float plane that is as old as the airline itself. Visitors to La Ronge can see the Beaver flying overhead, ferrying tourists to fishing camps and cabins, construction workers to remote islands, and doctors to appointments in isolated communities, just as Athabaska Airways did 70 years ago. 

As Rise Air commemorates its 70th anniversary this year, the airline reflects on its journey from a tiny regional carrier to a cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s aviation landscape. Throughout 2025, Rise Air is celebrating this milestone by honouring its past achievements, the shared stories, connections, and adventures that have defined its history. The celebrations also demonstrate its dedication to being more than just an airline. It stands as a bridge connecting communities across Saskatchewan’s north, committed to serving the people and industries that contribute to the province’s vibrancy and resilience. 

With an eye on the future, Rise Air remains focused on enhancing and growing air travel for its many stakeholders, while continuing its legacy of fostering economic and social development within Saskatchewan’s north. As a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned company, Rise Air is poised to lead by example in integrating community values with corporate operations, ensuring that its success translates into tangible benefits for the people it serves.