Jazz Aviation

Corporate history

Air Canada Regional Inc. was established in 2001 from the consolidation of the Air Canada Connector carriers Air BC, Air Nova, Air Ontario, and Canadian Regional Airlines (shortly after the merger between Canadian Airlines and Air Canada). The merger was finalized in 2002 with the creation of a new brand: Air Canada Jazz.

In 2006, ACE Aviation Holdings, the owners of Air Canada, sold off all of its Air Canada Jazz assets. Air Canada Jazz was then an independent company known as Jazz Air Income Fund, which launched an initial public offering in February 2006; units of the income trust traded as JAZ.UN.

On November 15, 2010, the airline was restructured and changed its name to Chorus Aviation, became a public corporation, and traded as "CHR" at the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In 2011, Air Canada announced it would phase out the use of the "Air Canada Jazz" name and livery, and instead brand its regional operations as "Air Canada Express", with the subtitle "operated by Jazz".

Operational history

In February 2006, Air Canada announced that City Centre Aviation Limited (CCAL) had served a 30-day termination notice for Jazz's month-to-month lease of terminal space at Toronto City Centre Airport. The Toronto Port Authority itself does not control any significant terminal space at the airport, but it extended permission for Jazz to continue using the airport; however, since the airline could not find terminal space, they cancelled service to the airport at the end of February 2006. CCAL had been bought by REGCO Holdings, (now Porter Aviation Holdings), the owners of Porter Airlines, which launched service from the airport later that year.

In August 2008, Jazz Aviation removed all life jackets from its aircraft to lower fuel costs. According to the airline, passengers are to use floating seat cushions in the event of an emergency over water. The airline also stated that the probability of a water landing on the regional airline routes was almost zero, as no operation over great bodies of water occurs except for the Great Lakes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and that in all circumstances, the airline always remains within 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) from land, as stipulated in the law, which removes the obligation from carrying any flotation devices.

Destinations

Jazz serves 71 destinations across Canada and the United States.

Fleet

As of October 16, 2026, the Jazz Aviation fleet listed with Transport Canada (TC) was:

Bombardier Aerospace delivered the first of its new regional jet variant, the 75-passenger Bombardier CRJ705 to Jazz Aviation on May 27, 2005. The aircraft was the first of 15 CRJ705 and 15 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft ordered in September 2004. Originally, the order had been for 30 CRJ705s and 15 CRJ200s but was changed to 15 and 15, subsequently, 15 Embraer 175 aircraft were added to the Air Canada mainline fleet. A 16th CRJ705 was added to replace a CRJ100 which was written off. The new aircraft undertook its first revenue-earning flight on June 1, 2005, from Calgary to Houston. In mid-2006, the last Air Canada CRJ100 was transferred to Jazz.

On February 9, 2010, Jazz Aviation announced that it had finalized an agreement with Bombardier Commercial Aircraft for 15 Q400 NextGen turboprops, with options for an additional 15 aircraft with deliveries to start in May 2011. They were to be configured in a 74-passenger, all-economy layout. The Q400s were used to replace older CRJ100/200 models which were returned to lessor. The Q400s were delivered in the new Air Canada Express paint scheme and were the first aircraft in the Jazz fleet to have the Air Canada Express branding.

Accidents and incidents

On May 20, 2007, Jazz Aviation flight 8911, operated by a Bombardier CRJ-100 registered C-FRIL, which originated in Moncton, had its main landing gear collapse at Toronto Pearson International Airport while turning from the runway onto the taxiway after an extremely hard landing. There were no injuries. The aircraft was written off and was cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register on July 18, 2007.

On November 6, 2014, a Bombardier Q400 operating as Air Canada Express Flight 8481, originating in Calgary and destined for Grande Prairie, blew a tire upon takeoff. The plane diverted to Edmonton due to high cross winds in Calgary. As the plane landed the right landing gear failed and a propeller blade broke off and impacted the fuselage. Four passengers were injured and taken to hospital, the last being released two days later; all had minor injuries.

On February 24, 2015, a Dash 8-100 operating Jazz Aviation flight 7795, originating in Toronto and destined for Sault Ste. Marie, struck a runway lead-in light on approach in poor weather conditions and was substantially damaged. No injuries were reported.

On May 9, 2019, Jazz Aviation Flight 8615, Toronto (CYYZ) to Sudbury (CYSB) was operated by a Dash 8-300 with tail C-FJXZ. The flight departed for Sudbury and diverted back to Toronto due to bad weather in Sudbury. While taxiing back to the gate the plane was struck by a fuel truck. The left side of the aircraft sustained major damage to the nose cone, left propeller and left rear portion of the aircraft. At the time of the incident, there were five reported injuries cared for and transported by Peel Regional Paramedics to hospital.

On March 22, 2026, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a CRJ900 operated by Jazz from Montreal-Trudeau to New York-LaGuardia, collided with an airport crash tender crossing the runway while landing. Both pilots were killed, and 39 others were injured.