{"id":351828,"date":"2023-11-27T10:18:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T15:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/?post_type=features&p=351828"},"modified":"2023-11-27T15:35:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T20:35:29","slug":"maritime-air-charter-people-first","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/features\/maritime-air-charter-people-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Maritime Air Charter: People first"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Steve Christiansen is president, chief pilot, and owner of Halifax-based Maritime Air Charter Ltd., but he\u2019s not in it for the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, he says his on-demand private charter operation was born out of necessity. A forest engineer by trade, Christiansen found himself driving up to 120,000 kilometres every year to fulfil a number of different maintenance contracts for power companies in Atlantic Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maritime Air\u2019s Beechcraft Super King Air 200 over beautiful Nova Scotia. Brent Hallman Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bought a Mooney a long time ago and started flying to those locations as a private pilot,\u201d Christiansen told Skies<\/em>. \u201cTwenty-seven years ago, I started Maritime Air with one PA-31 Piper Navajo out of Halifax. It grew to three Navajos and a King Air 100.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in 1996 when the company first got rolling, airline tickets were expensive. Maritime Air was busy, offering competitively-priced travel that allowed passengers to skip the hassles of flying commercial. Then, over time, things changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember that 25 years ago, a last-minute ticket from Halifax to St. John\u2019s would be $1,000 or more,\u201d recalled Christiansen. \u201cAbout five years ago, you could fly there for $250. We were not competitive anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, Maritime Air shrunk from four planes to one \u2014 a Beechcraft Super King Air B200. Today, the company is seeing a market rebound, with its single aircraft flying about 400 hours annually. In addition, customers who want to fly on a jet can charter an IAI Astra SPX flown by Maritime Air pilots through a partnership arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Members of the Maritime Air team from left: Walter Somers, Steve Christiansen, and Kathleen Legge. Brent Hallman Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of pilots, several have come and gone over the years, with Christiansen remaining the only constant. He said the company\u2019s current structure as a small boutique operation is by design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to be that company that has a bunch of aircraft and several pilots I don\u2019t really know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a small group of seven very qualified pilots and we don\u2019t really have turnover. It\u2019s a different quality of life we offer. More important than anything, I don\u2019t do this for financial gain. My core business is working for power companies. I do this for my own enjoyment and customer satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, Maritime Air is a bit of an anomaly in the aviation world. The company relies entirely on word of mouth and does zero advertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we get someone in the aircraft, they generally will never go anywhere else afterwards,\u201d reflected Christiansen. \u201cI really enjoy working with our clients. A lot of times, they become close friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Director of flight operations Kathleen Legge at the controls of Maritime Air\u2019s King Air turboprop. Brent Hallman Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In fact, that level of customer care \u2014 in terms of both service and safety \u2014 is what he considers to be Maritime Air\u2019s secret to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream job<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kathleen Legge, Maritime Air\u2019s director of flight operations and safety officer, is exactly where she wants to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former Royal Canadian Air Cadet who stayed \u201cas long as the program would have me,\u201d Legge finished her private pilot licence with Air Cadets the summer before she was due to start at Acadia University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt changed my life,\u201d she said. \u201cI withdrew from university and went to pilot training at Moncton Flight College.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finishing school in 2012, she worked as a flight dispatcher, skydive pilot, Cessna Caravan pilot and \u2014 following a layoff in the fall of 2015 \u2014 as a waitress. One day, Legge heard that Maritime Air was looking for a King Air captain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI decided to take a shot and it turned out to be the best thing!\u201d she recounted. \u201cI can fly an airplane from point A to point B \u2014 that\u2019s the easy thing \u2014 but my real specialty is customer service. That\u2019s my strong suit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n