LAS VEGAS, Nev. — R1 Airlines, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has become the first commercial operator to utilize an aircraft equipped with True Blue Power lithium-ion main aircraft batteries in revenue service. The on-demand charter service, which is an Avmax managed company, installed the battery on a Bombardier DHC-8-100 (Dash 8) aircraft after True Blue Power and Avmax received a Part 25 Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) for installation of the True Blue Power TB44 lithium-ion battery on Bombardier DHC-8 100/200/300 series aircraft. True Blue Power and Avmax have applied for U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bilateral acceptance of the same STC for use on U.S.-based aircraft.
“In an industry that moves fast and reinvents itself daily, we rally around innovation that allows us and our clients to streamline operations, run efficiently and maximize profit,” said Al Young, Vice President, Operations, Avmax Aviation Services and Vice President for R1 Airlines. “In an effort to be one step ahead of our clients’ needs, we have to be early adopters, we have to be sophisticated and focused if we are to be recognized as anchors within the realm of airline charter companies. We are excited to be the launch partners for True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries, a superior solution to the traditional NiCad battery alternative.”
Together with its affiliates, R1 Airlines offers domestic and international business charter service, aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) operations. As an Avmax managed company, R1 Airlines has access to the world’s largest private fleet of Dash 8 aircraft, and is backed by the strength of a global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) support network and supply chain.
True Blue Power specializes in the custom design and manufacturing of next-generation power solutions for the global aviation industry. It is the first company in the world to achieve FAA TSO and EASA ETSO certifications for three sophisticated lithium-ion battery products: the TB17 (17 amp-hour) and TB44 (46 amp-hour) Advanced Lithium-ion Batteries, and the TS835 Lithium-ion Emergency Power Supply. True Blue Power products are engineered to provide an overall lower cost of ownership, with 50 – 90 percent less scheduled maintenance cost. This is the result of increased durability, 2-year maintenance intervals, more efficient engine starts, and longer useful battery life.
Avmax’s engineering division is a Transport Canada authorized Design Approval Organization. Last year the company issued more TCCA Dash 8 STCs than all other Canadian DHC-8 STC holders combined.
To learn more about True Blue Power certified lithium-ion power solutions, visit the True Blue Power exhibit #C9639 throughout the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention and Exhibition, November 17 – 19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, or contact Rick Slater, True Blue Power Division Manager, at (316) 630-0101 and visit www.truebluepowerusa.com.
For more information about R1 Airlines or Avmax, contact Jennifer Salo, Communications and Public Relations, at jennifer.salo@r1airlines.ca, call (416) 460-3966, or visit www.r1airlines.ca and www.avmax.com.