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Best Places to Work in Northern Ontario: Thunder Airlines

Expanding airline keeps its close-knit company values
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Thunder Airlines is perhaps a modest-sized air carrier by global industry standards. 

However, managing about 120 employees with vastly different skill sets across two main bases and other sub-bases stretched across an area about the size of France is no easy task. Part of their success is due directly to promoting a good work environment and keeping their close-knit company values strong even as the airline grew.

“Because we started out as a smaller company and expanded from there, we’ve remained a family-oriented company,” said Jim Holm, president of Thunder Airlines. 

Thunder Airlines took off in 1994 as an air ambulance and charter company. Over the years, it has expanded in size and scope with air ambulance and charter services.

“We are well diversified,” Holm said. “Air ambulance is a fairly large part of our business. We have a standing agreement as a carrier with ORNGE.” 

The company employs about 15 paramedics who provide both in-flight services and transfers between hospitals and aircraft. Charter services for government agencies and business, including mining clients, remain one of the company’s staples.

The airline now also runs scheduled passenger and cargo flights from Timmins to points north, including the western James Bay communities of Moosonee, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, and Attawapiskat, as well as twice-weekly service to Peawanuck, near Hudson Bay.

Currently, Thunder Airlines has 13 aircraft: eight based in Timmins and five in Thunder Bay. The airline flies 12,000 hours annually. The company relies on its employees to keep everything on schedule and maintain its high level of customer service. In turn, the company provides its own high level of “employee service.”

“We have an open-door policy. If anyone needs time off, even at the last minute, we’re there to help them.”

The company also offers a number of employee benefits including an EAP program, employee benefit package, and a flexible pension plan that is self-directed – the company matches contributions up to a certain level. 

“There’s a sense of camaraderie,” Holm said. The busy work environment is in itself an inspiration. “It’s an ever-evolving, dynamic work environment. It’s not mundane.”

Holm added that another way they promote that sense of camaraderie and family is by hosting a number of company events each year. There are Christmas parties at both the Thunder Bay and Timmins bases, and impromptu barbecues throughout the summer. 

Thunder Airlines is willing to train pilots. In fact, most of the pilots they hire go through a special ground program that allows them to start working with the company before they fly. They will help with ground crew duties including freight handling and de-icing, and customer service tasks including bookings and manifests. They will also talk to flight crew as well as learn flight-related duties including aircraft flight following.

It’s a fairly unique type of program in the industry that helps pilots become more connected with their work environment as well as expand their knowledge.

“If you can learn the business prior to getting onto the aircraft, you’re usually a better pilot,” he said.

“The pilots who go through our training programs, and who graduate to captain, they become seasoned pilots and get to know our company very well.”

The fact that Thunder Airlines continues to grow after 23 years in a notoriously difficult business with relatively low staff turnover speaks for itself.

“Our employees like living in (Northern Ontario). You give them a good schedule and pay them well, they’ll stay with you. That’s what we like, and we take care of those people,” said Holm.