Buffalo Airways

  1970 to present

  Canada

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TYPE: Airline, firefighting service & flight school

IATA/ICAO CODES: J4 / BFL

HEADQUARTERS: Yellowknife, NWT

FORMER NAME: Nil

OTHER NAMES: Hay River Air Services (maintenance subsidiary)

Buffalo Airways was founded in 1970 in Yellowknife, NWT by Bob Gauchie. The company was later sold to one of his pilots, Joe "Buffalo Joe" McBryan. Buffalo operates charter passenger & cargo flights, firefighting flights and fuel services, and formerly operated scheduled passenger service. Its bases of operation are Yellowknife, Hay River and Red Deer Regional, NWT. Buffalo is one of the world's last Commando operator.

Buffalo Airways operated scheduled passenger services between Hay River and Yellowknife between August 1986 and November 2015. On 30 November 2015, Buffalo Airways' Air Operator Certificate was suspended due to the airline's poor safety record. While proving to Transport Canada that it could maintain appropriate safety standards, the company chartered thrid party aircraft to keep its operation running. The AOC was reinstated on 12 January 2016, but passenger services were never resumed and as of 2020 Buffalo is an all-cargo airline. Scheduled cargo services transport supplies from Yellowknife to Deline, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, and Tulita under contract with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Buffalo also offers cargo charters.

Buffalo Airways, one of the world's last Commando operator, is the subject of the History television reality series Ice Pilots NWT.

September 2001* to present

Buffalo still operates 2 Commandos as of 2020.

• Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: C-GTXW
• Other Commandos: C-FAVO, C-GTPO