Current News Updates

August 10, 2023 12:18PM

Thunder Airlines can confirm that all passengers and crew involved in this morning's incident on C-FASB in Moosonee, Ontario have been examined and released by medical professionals.

The next steps will be in consultation with The Transportation Safety Board and all applicable authorities to determine cause.

As always, our main priority remains the wellbeing and care of our passengers and crew.

 

August 10, 2023

Thunder Airlines is aware of an incident involving our aircraft C-FASB in Moosonee Ontario. Emergency services are on scene and at this time our main priority is the well being of our passengers and crew.

We will provide updates as they become available.

 

June 13, 2023

To all our loyal customers we would like to extend our apologies, due to operational issues our Peawanuck (YPO) scheduled service will be suspended effective immediately. We are hoping to be able to address these issues and being to provide flight service in the near future.

 

April 3, 2023

Thunder would like to thank all our passengers for their continued support of our airline. Please note that we have increased our ticket prices out of Timmins due to the Airport Improvement Fee increase at the Timmins Airport effective April 1st.

 

January 12, 2023

We will now require the date of birth for all passengers travelling on both scheduled and charter flights.

 

December 2, 2022

Effective December 12, 2022 Transport Canada will be introducing new regulations surrounding pilot duty day limits. These changes are being made to ensure that all crew members, across all airlines in Canada, are provided with consistent and quality rest periods in order to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle.

 Thunder Airlines has always ensured our pilots health and safety is a top priority and will continue to do so under these new regulations.

Some of the differences that our valued customers may notice will be changes to how early or late a charter can depart, how long a charter can hold in a location and how long it may take to respond to a quote request from the charter department. We ask for your understanding and patience as our employees work diligently to ensure all charter requests conform to the new guidelines while providing the exceptional experience you have come to expect from us. Should you have an urgent quote request after office hours please contact us directly at 1-800-803-9946

Thunder Airlines takes great pride in our relationship with our loyal customers and will continue to strive to be an industry leader in this area, while adhering to all federal regulations. Thank you for your understanding during this transition period and for allowing us to continue to be your Northern Connection.

 

September 30, 2022

As of 23:59:59 EDT on September 30, 2022, The Interim Order Respecting Certain Requirements for Civil Aviation Due to COVID-19, No. 73 is repealed.

 

September 28, 2022

The Government of Canada has announced that effective October 1, 2022, face masks will be recommended but no longer required for passengers travelling on an aircraft.

 

June 20, 2022

The Government of Canada has announced that, as of 00:01 EDT on June 20, they will be suspending the Interim Order for Civil Aviation Respecting Requirements Related to Vaccination Due to COVID-19. Please look under passenger info for more detailed information on COVID-19 protocols.

Please note the following:

  1. Vaccination will no longer be a requirement to board a plane in Canada.
  1. Face masks will continue to be a requirement on board all flights with the exception of brief periods of time to eat or drink.

 

November 30th, 2021

The Canadian Government has recently issued a mandate requires all eligible passengers boarding an aircraft in Canada to be fully vaccinated, effective November 30, 2021.  Limited exemptions will apply for medical or religious reasons as well as accommodations for those living in remote communities. Travellers departing on a flight from specified aerodromes in Canada,  including Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Timmins, must note the following:

  1. Passengers are not allowed to board an aircraft unless they confirm:
    1. they are fully vaccinated; or
    2. they qualify for an exemption and have proof of a COVID-19 molecular test result.
  2. Passengers must have and carry with them proof of vaccination or exemption, to be provided to Thunder Airlines, CATSA or Transport Canada upon request; and
  3. They may be liable to a monetary penalty if they knowingly provide false or misleading information.

Please see our Vaccine Mandate for more details. 

 

May 31st, 2021

 

Thunder Airlines would like to announce the retirement of President Jim Holm.

We wish him all the best. After 37 years in the aircraft industry(27 years with Thunder) his knowledge and contributions have been invaluable. He will be greatly missed.

Please help us welcome Christa Calabrese as our new President. Christa has been with Thunder Airlines for over 18 years. Her years of service in administration and management will help in a smooth transition.

She looks forward to building on the strength of Thunder and for the companies continued success.

Christa takes over her new role tomorrow June 1st.

 

May 27th, 2021

Thunder Airlines Rapid Antigen Test Program is up and running. Thunder is super happy to be able to provide this service to our charter customers.  If booking a charter please do not hesitate to ask about it.

 

May 4th, 2021

Thunder Airlines is pleased to announce that we will now be offering COVID 19 Point Care Tests(POCT) to all our customers to help reduce the spread of the virus into our serviced communities. By providing rapid antigen testing to our customers, in addition to our current screening procedures, we can now add a extra layer of safety to ensure that the potential contagious people are identified prior to boarding the aircraft.

January 24th, 2021

Thunder Airlines would like to remind all passengers that masks are mandatory on all charter and all regular scheduled flights. Picture I.D is now also required on Thunder Airlines flights.

 

December 7th, 2020

Thunder Airlines has been informed that the flight crew involved in the possible COVID-19, inflight exposure, have tested Negative for virus. We thank everyone for their kind words and understanding during the contact tracing, self-isolation and testing period.

We would like to remind everyone traveling by air that they will be asked the following questions and they will be temperature screened prior to boarding any aircraft.

Questionnaire for Health Check:

 If a passenger answers YES to ANY of these questions, the Denial of Boarding must be applied.

  1. Do you have a fever and a cough?
  2. Do you have a fever and breathing difficulty?
  3. Have you been refused boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to COVID19?
  4. Are you currently under mandatory quarantine, as a result of recent travel or by orders from the provincial, territorial or local public health authorities?

 If YES, has a federal, provincial or territorial health authority given you explicit permission to continue your onward journey by air to reach your self-isolation location?

We would once again like to remind everyone to be diligent in our efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

December 4th, 2020

On Thursday December 3rd, Thunder Airlines was contacted by the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) regarding a possible COVID-19 exposure on one of our flights. The PHU has informed us that two residents of the Attawapiskat First Nations community have tested positive for COVID-19. At their direction, the flight crew involved with the flight from Timmins to Attawapiskat were immediately notified and are now in self-isolation at home. At no point since the November 23rd flight have any of the crew members or other Thunder Airlines employees exhibited any symptoms of COVID-19.

The safety of our customers and employees has always been a top priority at Thunder Airlines. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have implemented numerous safety protocols in accordance with Transport Canada and local health guidelines. These safety measures include:
- Mandatory screening and temperature checks for all passengers.
- Daily employee screening and temperature checks.
- Enhanced cleaning procedures for all aircraft and passenger lounges including the use of disinfecting fog machines for our King Air fleet.
- Mandatory masks for anyone entering our buildings and boarding aircraft.

Thunder Airlines will remain in communication with the PHU and continue to follow their direction with regards to this possible exposure. Our sympathy goes out to all those effected in the Attawapiskat First Nations community. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our way of life and we must all remain diligent in our efforts to reduce the spread of this virus.

April 18th

Update on Traveling By Air

The Government of Canada is asking that all travellers have a removable non-medical mask of face covering large enough to cover their mouth and nose during their travel through Canadian airports and in-flight.

Travellers must confirm that they have in their possession the mandatory non-medical mask or face covering as part of the registration or check-in process otherwise they will not be allowed to continue on their journey.

This interim order comes into effect Monday, April 20th EDT at noon. 

For more information on the new interim order, click on the following link. https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2020/04/new-measures-introduced-for-non-medical-masks-or-face-coverings-in-the-canadian-transportation-system.html

For more information on instructions for making a non-medical face covering , click on the following link. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks/instructions-sew-no-sew-cloth-face-covering.html 

Medical grade face coverings are acceptable but are not being promoted due to the ongoing shortage within the medical community.

April 9th

Update on COVID - 19 Pandemic

Due to the closuer of scheduled air traffic, by several of the James Bay communities, Thunder Airlines has made the decision to temporarily suspended our daily scheduled flights out of Timmins. This will come into effect Sunday April 12th. Passenger demand will be monitored and periodic flights will be reactivated if warranted.

Charter and freight flights will continue to be available during this time. 

We trust that everyone affected by the current measures is understanding.

March 30th

Update on COVID – 19 Pandemic

Thunder Airlines is actively monitoring the COVID – 19 pandemic and continues to make operational changes to ensure the safety of our customers, employees and communities we serve. Some of the changes implemented since the last update are as follows.

All Thunder Airlines operational bases (Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Timmins) will have restricted access to the public. Prior to entering the facility, employees and customers are required to sanitize their hands, and after reading and answering a few simple questions, sign a self-declaration.

Several northern communities have restricted access to essential workers and community members only. 24 hours advance notice must be provided to the community leadership in order receive authorization to deplane.

Denial of Boarding

Thunder Airlines has adopted the measures that Transport Canada published and came into force today at noon. See below:

 

In order to manage the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Canada has new restrictions in place for air travel

  • Conducting health checks of all travellers before boarding based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada;
  • Denial of boarding on domestic flights for symptomatic passengers or those who have been refused boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to the COVID-19 virus, or is the subject of a provincial or territorial or local public health order; and

 

  • Notification to travellers that they may be subject to a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19 taken by the provincial or territorial government at their final destination.

March 18th – Update on COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the spread of the novel corona virus (COVID-19) in Canada, Thunder Airlines has implemented a number of changes to protect the health and safety of our customers, employees and the communities that we serve.

We are constantly monitoring the spread of the virus and making operational changes in order to best serve and protect our customers and employees. Our response will be based on the advice from community leadership, governmental agencies and health organizations.

What changes have been made to protect your health?

Thunder Airlines has implemented an enhanced aircraft interior cleaning program. In addition to the normal grooming, the interiors of the charter and scheduled aircraft are undergoing the same in depth sanitizing as our medical transport aircraft. This is being carried out daily.

Passengers are being asked to self-identify if they are feeling ill. Examples are, feverish, coughing.

What changes have been made to the flight schedule?

Thunder Airlines will continue our scheduled service from Timmins to points north. This service will be run on a reduced schedule due to diminishing demand. Scheduled time of departure may vary from our normal posted time, so please ensure you stay in contact with our agents for the latest updates. If any schedule changes are made to pre-booked flights, we will do our utmost to contact our customers with these anticipated alterations.