L. Russell Payson

Russell Payson founded Skyservice in 1986. His aviation career had begun almost a decade earlier when he began flying for an airline. By the early 1980s, he was working in charters and managed aircraft, but when hangar space became available at the Montreal International Airport, he and two partners saw an opportunity to start their own fixed-base operator. Skyservice expanded in 1989 to include air ambulance and business aircraft operations (later Skyservice Business Aviation Inc.). While under his leadership, the FBO, ambulance, and business services grew from 8 to over 500 employees.

In the mid 1990s Skyservice grew again, first by negotiating a joint venture with Imperial Oil and then with the creation of a leisure charter airline, Skyservice Airlines. Until their respective sales, Russell was principal shareholder of and either President or CEO and Chairman of Skyservice FBO Inc., Skyservice Business Aviation Inc., and Skyservice Airlines Inc. In 2011 Russell founded Sky Regional Airlines, under the Air Canada Express banner, which operated upwards of 125 flights per day until halting operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Widely respected by his peers and committed to supporting his community, he received the ATAC Lifetime Honoree in 2005 and was awarded the CBAA Honorary Lifetime membership in 2009.

For his leadership and innovation in the Canadian airline industry, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame is pleased to induct Russell Payson as a member for 2022.