ValleyBiz Story |

The Swan Valley has been without a long term solution for scheduled air service since Keystone Air shut down its scheduled flights between Winnipeg, Dauphin and Swan River in 2005.


Swan Valley resident, David Moriaux, plans to change that.

Moriaux is in the planning stages of establishing a locally owned and operated air service based out of the Swan River Municipal Airport. The new company, to be called Valley Air, will focus on providing regular scheduled flights to Winnipeg and possibly other major centres if there is sufficient demand. Charter flights and freight services are in the plans as well to round out the service offering.

Moriaux commented that having scheduled flights between Swan River and Winnipeg would benefit those who travel to Winnipeg for business, medical appointments and pleasure by providing a reduction in both the time and cost of travel. For anyone who values their time, or has to pay for the travel time and accommodations of employees, professionals or business partners, the savings could be significant.

While an attempt to establish scheduled flights through Perimeter Air in 2012 was unsuccessful, Moriaux believes creating a locally owned company, based in Swan River, is a key piece of the successful formula. “A locally owned airline will be more responsive to the needs of the Swan Valley, will provide local employment and will keep more dollars in the Swan Valley,” said Moriaux. Utilizing the right aircraft is another important factor and, after much research, Moriaux believes the right aircraft for the job is the Pilatus PC 12.

The single turbo prop aircraft seats 9 passengers and is easily convertible to accommodate various freight and passenger configurations. The aircraft features a spacious interior with a pressurized cabin and a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet. The flight time from Swan River to Winnipeg will be approximately 58 minutes.

Moriaux will be partnering with aircraft management company, Private Air. By leveraging their experience and expertise in startup requirements, licensing and operations, he is hoping to reduce the amount of time to get the service up and running. “I am cautiously optimistic that we could have a scheduled flight service operational in 2016,” said Moriaux.