Inter-Dominion Air Lines

Inter-Dominion Air Lines is one of British Columbia's two flag-carrier airlines, focussing on scheduled continental and overseas international services.

Inter-Dominion serves 39 destinations (4 domestic, 20 continental, 15 international) in 18 countries.

The airline operates a multi-discipline sports club based in Burkeville, Richmond, the Inter-Dominion Air Lines Sports Club Richmond. Although primarily amateur, its men's football section is semi-professional and plays in the fourth tier of the BC football pyramid.

History
Imperial Airways of the United Kingdom established its first permanent North American presence in 1927, purchasing four DH.66 Hercules airliners from De Havilland BC in 1929. Two years later, the Dominion government pointed out to Imperial Airways that the conditions set out in the Dominion's Railway Act which govern foreign ownership of railway companies in British Columbia are applicable to air transport as well, the BC operations were spun off into a separate BC subsidiary called British Columbia Air Lines (BCAL).

In 1936, BCAL was renamed Inter-Dominion Air Lines (IDAL) to coincide with the inauguration of a through service linking Victoria, BC with St John's, Newfoundland through Canada, linking the British Empire's three North American Dominions. Flying DH.86C Express aircraft carrying up to 16 passengers, the "Inter-Dominion Service", as it was called, had a weekly departure from each end, with the eastbound route being Victoria – Vancouver – Calgary, Alberta – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Fort William, Ontario – Sudbury, Ontario – Ottawa, Ontario – Montreal, Quebec – Fredericton, New Brunswick – Halifax, Nova Scotia – St John's, a total of 2,989 nautical miles (3,335 statute miles). With an a cruising speed of 123 knots, the complete trip was scheduled at 25 hours 13 minutes.

When Imperial Airways was merged into the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in 1939, it remained a subsidiary of the new airline; this situation continued after BOAC was merged into British Airways in 1974. Following the privatisation of British Airways in 1987, IDAL was transformed into a fully autonomous joint-stock company listed on the London Stock Exchange with British Airways holding 100% of the shares in 1989. By 1991 British Columbian interests, including the Bank of BC, British Columbia Rover-Leyland and the Pattison Group, had acquired majority control of the airline. As of 2022, British Airways still hold a 4.9% share of Inter-Dominion.

In 1981, Inter-Dominion sold its routes connecting Cassiar and Mackenzie in northern BC with Canada's northern territories and Alberta to Northern Thunderbird Air; included in the package were all ten DC-9-15 aircraft which had been used on those routes.

In June 2020, Inter-Dominion entered into a codeshare agreement with Air Koryo of North Korea.

Incidents

 * 18 November 1938: De Havilland BC DH.86C Express VB-BRC (c/n C81/1935), operating as a cargo flight from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Vancouver, crashed shortly after take-off from Regina, Saskatchewan. Both crewmembers were killed.


 * 21 July 1951: Douglas DC-4A (C-54A-DO) VB-IDG (c/n DO23-3082/1943), operating as Flight ID 3505 from Vancouver to Singapore via Anchorage, Alaska, USA, Iturup, Utari Mosir, and Hong Kong, disappeared near Sitka, Alaska. The aircraft departed Vancouver at 18:53 for the first leg to Anchorage. Ninety minutes from out from Anchorage, the aircraft reported an ETA of 24:00 overhead Yakutat, Alaska; the weather in the area was heavy rain and icing conditions with a visibility of 500 feet. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft, and at 0:44 and emergency warning was issued when the aircraft was overdue to report. A search was begun, but abandoned on 31 October. No trace of the aircraft or its occupants have ever been found, therefore the cause of the disappearance remains undetermined. There were thirty-one passengers and six crew aboard.


 * 9 December 1952: Douglas DC-4A (C-54A-DO) VB-IDF (c/n DO23-3081/1943), operating as Flight ID 810 from Vancouver to Calgary, Alberta, crashed into the side of Mount Slesse. Flight 810 departed Vancouver at 18:10 and was cleared by Vancouver ATC to Calgary via Mud Bay, Abbotsford, and Cultus Lake. The aircraft made normal position reports giving altitude and reported icing beginning at 16,000 feet, moderate turbulence at 16,000 to 18,000 feet, heavy jolts at 19,000 feet, and at 18:48 requested clearance to 21,000 feet. At 18:52, Flight 810 reported a fire in no. 2 engine and that the engine had been shut down and the aircraft was returning to Vancouver via Cultus Lake and Abbotsford. Shortly afterwards the flight reported difficulty in maintaining height and requested clearance to descend on Green 1. The last altitude reported by Flight 810 was just above 15,000 feet, which would be maintained if possible. At 19:10 Flight 810 reported passing Hope; altitude was not given but clearance to descend to 10,000 feet was requested. ATC cleared Flight 810 to cross the Vancouver range at 8,000 feet or above. Flight 810's acknowledgement was the last radio contact with the aircraft; nothing more was heard of it until a part was discovered by mountaineers on 12 May 1957, when they were climbing Mt. Slesse, at approximately the 7,600-foot level, adjacent to the third highest peak. All three crew and fifty-nine passengers aboard were killed.
 * Although the concrete reason for being at an altitude low enough to strike Mount Slesse was never determined, it was concluded that the most probable cause was that the aircraft, flying on three engines, encountered severe icing, turbulence, subsidence, or a combination of all three, or that it suffered some other difficulty of such a sudden or dire nature that the crew were unable to communicate with any agency or control the aircraft. For undetermined reasons the aircraft was not on Green Airway No. 1 to which it had been cleared by ATC. The following factors contributed to the accident: a) Loss of engine power - No. 2 engine shut-down, fire suspected.; b) Existence in the area of known subsidence, severe turbulence, and moderate to severe icing probably in the lower levels."


 * 8 April 1954: Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation VB-IDP (c/n 4148/1954), operating as Flight ID 9 from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Vancouver, was destroyed in a mid-air collision overhead Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Constellation, which was making only its fourth revenue flight since delivery to Inter-Dominion from the factory, had been cleared on an IFR flightplan flying at 6,000 feet on Green Airway 1 between Winnipeg and Calgary. At 9:57 an RCAF Harvard Mk. II training aircraft took off from RCAF Station Moose Jaw for a cross-country navigation exercise. As the Harvard climbed to 9,000 feet, it crossed the Airway at 6,000 feet and collided with the Constellation. A large portion of the wreckage fell on a house, killing its only occupant; the Harvard pilot and the thirty-five occupants of the Constellation (31 passengers, 4 crew) were also killed.
 * Canadian investigators concluded that the probable causes were the failure on the part of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain a proper lookout, with the onus of responsibility for keeping out of the way being with the Harvard aircraft as it had the other on its own right side, and that the Harvard aircraft in crossing the Airway climbed through altitudes normally used by aircraft flying along the airway.The investigators were unable to determine whether the window post on the left side of the Constellation aircraft hid the Harvard aircraft from view, but there were indications that this was possible.


 * 7 February 1968: Douglas DC-8-43 VB-IAO (c/n 45661/1963), operating as Flight ID 322 from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA to Vancouver, overran the runway on landing in zero visibility and collided with parked aircraft, vehicles, and two buildings. It was determined that visual reference had been lost after the flare and prior to touchdown; the pilot-in-command was faulted for failing to evaluate known terminal weather information and to discontinue the landing attempt. Of the fifty-two passengers and nine crew aboard only the co-pilot was killed, as was one person inside the terminal building. The aircraft was written off.


 * 17 March 2000: McDonnell Douglas MD-11 VB-IAG (c/n 48500/1992), operating as Flight ID 116 from Vancouver to Toronto, Ontario, was departing Runway 8R when a passenger reported hearing a loud noise and seeing something fly off the aircraft. The pilot conducted a visual inspection and determined that the left engine cowling had blown off. ATC became aware of the problem when Canadian Airlines International Flight CN 513, a DHBC Trident 7A, departed one minute behind the MD-11 and reported running over debris on the runway in the vicinity of the intersection to Runway 12. Both Runway 12 and Runway 08R were then closed for inspection and for removal of debris; the MD-11 returned to Vancouver and landed safely on Runway 8L at 21:28. After landing it appeared that the cowling had struck several other parts of the aircraft causing a 5 foot gash in the upper wing skin; and a twisting of the engine pylon that required replacement. There were no injuries on either aircraft, and the MD-11 was repaired and returned to service.


 * 13 May 2005 Tupolev Tu-204-220 VB-INC (c/n 64135/2001), operating as Flight ID 175 from Vancouver to Calgary, Alberta, was on final approach to Calgary approximately ten miles from the airport when the flight crew received a fire warning from the aft cargo bay; the crew activated the fire extinguishers according to the checklist procedures and declared an emergency. Although the fire indication went out about thirty seconds after the extinguishers were activated, the cabin crew noticed a slight smell of smoke. The aircraft landed and stopped on the runway to allow firefighters to inspect it for fire, but no sign of fire was found with infrared sensors. The aircraft taxied to the terminal, stopping forty feet back from the gate, where firefighters opened the cargo compartment for a detailed inspection. Upon opening of the door, a large amount of smoke was observed as firefighters entered the compartment and confirmed that the fire had been extinguished. Canadian Transportation Safety Board investigators discovered that a small but intense fire had occurred, causing significant structural damage to the floor of the aft cargo compartment, progressing roughly eighteen inches up the right side wall of the aircraft outside the cargo hold. The fire was deemed to have been caused by an electrical failure in the heater tape used to prevent water lines from freezing; the failure ignited the covering of the insulation blankets installed below the open cargo floor. There were no injuries amongst the eight crew and 177 passengers aboard. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and returned to service.


 * 26 August 2018 Airbus A330-243 VB-IDG (c/n 684/2005), operating as Flight ID 194 from Vancouver to Dublin, Ireland, declared a MAYDAY after the flight crew heard a loud bang from the number 2 engine and detected a power loss and abnormal engine indications whilst climbing through FL100 shortly after departure from Vancouver. The engine was brought to idle and the aircraft returned to Vancouver, where an overweight landing was executed; there were no injuries amongst the 8 crew and 227 passengers aboard. After the landing, airport authorities detected debris on Runway 08R/26L and closed it for cleanup. An initial visual inspection of the engine revealed extensive damage to the aftmost turbine blades, as well as punctures in the inboard aileron and fuselage aft of the baggage door caused by debris exiting the engine exhaust. The engine was sent to the manufacturer for teardown and inspection; the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.

Fleet
Inter-Dominion operate a total of 99 aircraft.

Current

 * Airbus A321neo - 12 (2018 to date), +22 on order to be delivered by 2028
 * Airbus A330-200 - 16 (2003 to date), to be retired by 2027
 * Airbus A330-900 - 0, +10 on order to be delivered 2022–2025
 * Airbus A350-900 - 9 (2016 to date)
 * McDonnell Douglas MD-90 - 5 (1988 to date), to be retired by 2024
 * Sukhoi Superjet 95LR - 15 (2015 to date)
 * Tupolev Tu-204-220 - 18 (2001 to date), to be retired by 2026
 * Tupolev Tu-204SM - 24 (2017 to date)

Historic

 * Airbus A340-300 - 8 (1995–2019)
 * Airspeed Ambassador - 6 (1950–1959)
 * De Havilland Comet C2 - 3 (1955–1964), sold to Awyr Cymru Newydd (6024/1953(1955), 6027/1953(1955), 6034/1953(1956) del after cvtd to C2)
 * De Havilland Comet 4 - 6 (1959–1970)
 * De Havilland Comet 4C - 8 (1961–1970)
 * DHBC DH.50B Bluebird - 4 (1932–1958), new for BC Air Lines
 * DHBC DH.66B Hercules - 4 (1929–1937), new for Imperial Airways
 * DHBC DH.86C Express - 4 (1935–1936), new for BC Air Lines
 * DHBC DH.91B Albatross - 4 (1938–1947)
 * DHBC-1 Dove - 2 (1949–1969), pilot training
 * DHBC-2 Heron 3 - 3 (1951–1965)
 * DHBC-2 Heron 3B - 5 (1952–1963)
 * DHBC-4 Skylark - 9 (1956–1971)
 * DHBC-5 Swan - 7 (1963–1976), used on northern routes
 * DHBC-7A Trident 7A - 25 (1967–2001)
 * DHBC-7C Trident 7B - 13 (1970–2007)
 * DHBC-7D Trident 7D - 18 (1974–2013)
 * DHBC-7F Skookum Trident - 25 (1979–2013)
 * DHBC-9A Kehloke 1 - 12 (1985–2002)
 * Douglas DC-3 - 12 (1937–1956)
 * Douglas DC-4 - 5 (1943–1954)
 * Douglas DC-8-43 - 7 (1961–1977)
 * Douglas DC-9-15 - 10 (1967–1981), used on northern routes
 * Junkers Ju-52/3m - 4 (1934–1946), new for BC Air Lines
 * Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation - 4 (1954–1963)
 * McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 - 16 (1973–1994)
 * McDonnell Douglas MD-11 - 14 (1990–2009)
 * McDonnell Douglas MD-90 - 37 (1988-2022)
 * Northrop Delta - 2 (1933–1945), new for BC Air Lines
 * Supermarine BC Sea Eagle - 3 (1927–1938), new for Imperial Airways
 * Vickers Super VC10 - 4 (1968–1976)

BC-made aircraft
''Note: a green background indicates an aircraft in service, a yellow background indicates a retired aircraft, and a pink background indicates an aircraft lost in an accident.

Routes
There are codeshare agreements with Air Koryo, Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Hawkair, Kootenay Airways, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Royal Hawaiian Airlines, and Thai Airways International.

Entries with a green background indicates a destination in British Columbia.