Keewatin Air

Keewatin Air (IATA: FK) is an airline that operates out of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. The airline was started by Frank Robert May (formerly a pilot for Lamb Air) and his wife Judy Saxby in 1971, in the Keewatin Region, then part of the Northwest Territories.

Formed as "Keewatin Air Limited" they originally provided charter services to the region, being the first airline to have a permanent base in Nunavut (then known as the Keewatin Region of the Northwest Terriroties). In 1987 they expanded to include MEDEVAC ("medical evacuation") services, to what would become the Kivalliq Region, using a fleet of aircraft that began with a Tradewind aircraft - a multi-modified Beech 18 with a turbine engine and tricycle gear. This aircraft was followed by a Westwind, another modified Beech 18 with turbine engines and eventually these were replaced by Merlin IIA aircraft that had the added benefit of being pressurized as well as turbine. The MEDEVAC service is now known as "Nunavut Lifeline". Currently three Kingair 100 aircraft are based in Rankin Inlet, one in Churchill, Manitoba. and two in Iqaluit, where they also base a Lear 35 for the long hauls to Ottawa and a PC12 to access the short strips. They also operate two Beech 1900C aircraft. One out of Iqaluit and one out of Winnipeg.

In 1998 the company formed Kivalliq Air to provide scheduled air service within the Kivalliq Region and to Winnipeg and Churchill. That service has since been cancelled with the company now providing scheduled service to Sanikiluaq only.

In 2005 the company was sold to Exchange Industrial Income Fund (now Exchange Income Corporation), owners of Perimeter Aviation, Bearskin Airlines and Calm Air. May and Saxby continued to manage the airline for a short period after the sale.