Superior service, flexible schedule propel Central Mountain Air

It’s just a small thing, but the people who run Central Mountain Air believe you deserve it.

When you sit in an airplane, you shouldn’t have to squeeze in and mould yourself to fit the typical round shape of a fuselage.

So CMA’s fleet of 14 consists entirely of Beech 1900 “D” turboprops with relatively flat sides to permit comfortable seating.

Of course, there are other reasons for the regional airline’s choice of those sleek, 18-seat aircraft, including an outstanding record of reliability and performance. The fleet has the seal of approval of major Alberta oil and gas companies, who are particular about the planes in which their executives and employees fly.

Customer service has also been high on CMA’s priority list since it first took to the skies in 1987.

“The bottom line is that we’re a small, growing business. We’re very flexible and customer-service focused,” says Pat Wynn, director of sales and marketing.

Central Mountain Air is based in Smithers, B.C., operating scheduled flights in both B.C. and Alberta. The Alberta communities it serves are Calgary, Edmonton, Lloydminster, High Level, Rainbow Lake and Peace River.

In B.C., it flies in and out of Comox, Campbell River, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Smithers, Terrace and Vancouver. And CMA just extended its network again to include Williams Lake and Quesnel.

“We’ve started service for Williams Lake and Quesnel to and from the Vancouver Airport’s Main Terminal, which brings us up to 19 destinations,” explains Wynn, adding there are three flights a day Monday through Friday for Williams Lake and two a day for Quesnel with limited weekend service for both communities.

“Whether you’re travelling for business or leisure, the convenience of connecting in the Main Terminal is a real time-saver.”

CMA has also bolstered its inter-provincial connections.

For example, Terrace, Smithers, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson and Fort St. John all have connections to Edmonton and Calgary.

“We will continue to do research in Western Canada and south of the border, looking for niche markets, where the demand is for a scheduled and/or charter operation. We’re quite open to looking at any possibilities that might exist out there.”

CMA began 17 years ago as a bush pilot operation out of Smithers, eventually growing into a scheduled airline in B.C. and Alberta. It expanded into leasing planes to corporations and other airlines in the late 1990s and temporarily switched the company’s emphasis to that side of the business.

But in 2002, observing that the industry’s ebb and flow had opened up new opportunities for regional airlines, Central Mountain Air got back into scheduled flights – with a sound strategy.

“Our approach is to sell our product on a first-come, first served basis, so we offer one-way fares and pretty well minimal restrictions,” Wynn explains.

“We don’t have any minimum, maximum or Saturday-night stays. What we offer is a convenient scheduled service along with the fair-pricing approach.”

And there’s also the friendly approach. There are no flight attendants on board, so each of the two pilots at times is a company ambassador, chatting with passengers and answering their questions.

With no buffer between them and the pilots, passengers enjoy the novel experience, Wynn says.

“The feedback we’ve been getting from our customers is they really appreciate the opportunity to be able to converse with the pilots, and the customer service provided by the pilots, reservations and airport staff is considered outstanding, too.”

CMA’s charter operation is also a highly important part of the equation.

Clients such as oil and gas companies and sports organizations like to take advantage of the travel control that goes with chartering an aircraft.

“People expect flexibility from a small company, and we provide that,” Wynn says. “We offer air services that are convenient and flexible when a schedule is not appropriate for our customers.

We have private boarding lounges in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Prince George, and our charters get you where you want to go – when you want to be there.

“You’re actually designing your own schedule.”

CMA’s managers also feel like part of the thriving communities they serve.

Having scheduled flights in and out of a town or city enhances its local development – especially with the influx of recreational flyers.

“We’re finding in places like Lloydminster, High Level, Rainbow Lake and Peace River, tourism is an important thing for these communities,” Wynn says. “Attracting business is also important to them.

“We’re providing them with an alternative in most of the markets we serve.”

To check out images of the comfortable, leather-seated Beech aircraft and see flight schedules, go to www.flycma.com.

To charter a plane, download a PDF of the charter quote request form. Then fax the information to 403.730.5006, attention: Brad Hall, or phone 403.730.5793.