Some acquisitions are out of the ordinary. The arrival of our brand-new Beechcraft 1900D is a perfect example. Here's a look back at an adventure that involved months of work, thousands of man-hours and a great deal of determination.
A rare aircraft found on the other side of the world
The Beechcraft 1900D is renowned for its robustness and reliability, but it's becoming increasingly rare on the market.
It was in Australia that we finally found a rare gem, one that met our criteria and operating standards.
Photo credit: Jason Drolet
Finding a 1900D in good condition is a challenge in itself. Bringing it back to Quebec is another story.
An extraordinary journey across the Pacific
The Beechcraft 1900D is an aircraft designed for short and medium distances, not for crossing oceans. To get from Australia to Canada, we had to proceed in stages, with many stopovers. The route included landings on small Pacific islands, which served as essential refueling points along the way.
In all, it took more than 35 hours of flying time to bring the aircraft home, spread over several days due to the constraints of the aircraft and the logistics involved in this type of delivery.
An unusual delivery operation
To repatriate the aircraft from Australia, a solution was needed: ferry tanks. The passenger seats were temporarily removed from the cabin to make way for an imposing additional fuel tank, enabling the aircraft to fly non-stop over long distances.
Example of a ferry tank installed in a King Air, for illustrative purposes. This is not a Propair ferry. By Laszlo Torok - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14658958
The ferrying involved a total of 35 flight hours, carried out by specialized ferry pilots. No lavatories on board, no usual comforts. Just the essentials to cross the oceans and reach Canada.
Since December 2025: months of hard work in Peterborough
On arrival, the aircraft headed for Peterborough, where it stayed from December 2025 to May 2026. What has been accomplished since, in collaboration with Echo North Aero Services LTD, is colossal.
Major inspection and import
First and foremost, a complete major inspection was carried out. Importing a foreign aircraft into Canada is not something you can improvise: you have to demonstrate, document by document, that everything that needed to be done on the aircraft since it was commissioned has in fact been done. It's a real plunge into the maintenance archives, to make sure that no mandatory task has been omitted since the aircraft was put on the market.
Avionics upgrade
Modifications were carried out to integrate new GPS and modernize the avionics.
The objective behind all this? To standardize equipment so that this aircraft is perfectly identical to the others in our fleet. Our crews need to be able to switch from one aircraft to another without any surprises.
Cosmetic adjustments
Cosmetic work was also on the agenda to make the aircraft look as good as new, in keeping with our image.
The seats were completely redone to optimize passenger comfort, and the aircraft was painted in the Propair colors. An aircraft that joins our fleet must proudly bear our brand image.
Now in service!
This Beechcraft 1900D, now fully compliant, officially entered service with our operations on May 7, 2026.
It now carries the registration C-FRMJ. The letters of the registration were not chosen at random. Étienne Lambert, President of Propair, personally selected the letters as a tribute to his family: his mother France, his wife Manon, and his children Rose, Maïa and Josef.
This plane now occupies a very special place in Propair's history. A beautiful story that's just beginning!