VH-XFM taxiing at
Perth Airport Airnorth was established in 1978 and started operations on 4 July that year as Air North International; it was the result of the merger of Airnorth, Rossair of
Adelaide and Tillair of
Darwin. It operated charter flights only until scheduled services were introduced in 1981. At this time, the airline's fleet included the first turbine powered aircraft in the Northern Territory, a
Beechcraft Super King Air as well as a
Douglas DC-3. In 1999, Airnorth began operating services in the Northern Territory and Queensland on behalf of
Ansett. In September 1999, Airnorth began operating charters from Darwin to
Dili,
East Timor, on behalf of the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor. In 2000 this became a scheduled service, Airnorth's first international route. In 2007, Airnorth introduced the
Embraer 170 to its fleet, the first jet aircraft operated by the airline. In 2012, it announced a direct service between Darwin and
Townsville, the first Australian airline to offer a non-stop connection between these cities. On 5 February 2015, it was announced that
Bristow Helicopters had acquired an 85 percent controlling interest in Airnorth. Bristow stated that Airnorth would retain its name and brand identity. In 2015 Bristow purchased the remaining shares to obtain full ownership. Under Bristow's ownership, Airnorth responded to a downturn in the mining industry, restructuring the route network by withdrawing services to
Karratha,
Port Hedland and the
Gold Coast. A fifth E-170 joined the fleet in 2016. The increased availability of the jets allowed expansion into
South East Queensland and Victoria, commencing operations from
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to
Melbourne and
Cairns in March 2016. Within months the airline added further flights from Wellcamp to Townsville with all three new routes codesharing with
Qantas. In 2022, Airnorth expanded its airline seat capacity by introducing two
Embraer 190 aircraft to its fleet, enhancing its ability to meet growing passenger demand. By 2024, the airline has further strengthened its operations and now operates a total of three Embraer 190s, providing greater flexibility, efficiency, and comfort across its regional and interstate routes. In March 2024, Airnorth launched a service from
Alice Springs to
Perth. ==Destinations==