Buffalo Airways
Operator Identification
1970 to present
Canada
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)
Operator History
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.
Commando Operations
September 2001* to present
Buffalo still operates 2 Commandos as of 2020.
Commandos Operated
- Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: C-GTXW
- Other Commandos: C-FAVO, C-GTPO
Last edited: 07/04/2020