CP Air

Canadian Pacific Air Lines, branded as CP Air since 1968, is a commercial airline in British Columbia offering scheduled domestic, continental and international services.

It is a subsidiary of the Imperial Pacific Transportation Co Ltd, which is in turn the BC subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway; IPTC is also the parent of Imperial Pacific Steamships. As a result, the airline is a key component of a fully integrated transportation system - the first such system in the world.

= History = The CPR purchased six airline and bush flying companies in British Columbia (Blaenau Air Lines, Ginger Coote Airways, Mackenzie Air Services, Peace Airways) and Alberta (Prairie Airways, Yukon Southern Air Transport) and merged them in 1942 to create Canadian Pacific Air Lines. Subsequently, between 1944 and 1947 CPAL acquired and absorbed other operators across Canada: Arrow Airways, Canadian Airways, Montreal & Dominion Skyways, Quebec Airways, and Starratt Airways.

CP Air acquired and absorbed Quebecair in 1987 and Wardair Canada in 1990.

= Routes = Shown here are only those routes that include at least one airport in BC.

As BC does not have formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, neither of BC's flag carriers, Air British Columbia and Inter-Dominion Air Lines, can fly to Beijing. As Canadian Pacific is a Canadian company (although with BC-registered subsidiaries) and Canada does maintain diplomatic relations with the PRC, CP operates the only direct service between BC and the PRC. These flights are always operated with aircraft carrying Canadian registration (C-xxxx); CP aircraft registered in BC are not used on this route.