Integra Air flew into the Canadian Rockies International Airport Tuesday, bringing the president of the air service and a dozen golfers from Lethbridge to check out the area.

The flight was in advance of Integra's official launch of service from Cranbrook on June 15, 2011, when Integra's first flight into Cranbrook from Edmonton International Airport lands, at 1:05 p.m.

Air Integra President Brent Gateman, who was accompanied by Integra Director Dave Macfarlane, met with local officials and interested parties, toured the new hangar facilities at the airport, discussed the upcoming service launch and offered a tour of the aircraft.

Integra will be operating Jetstream 31 and 32 aircraft out of Cranbrook. Gateman said the plane has a 25,000-foot ceiling (it cruises between 19-20,000 feet), and a top speed of 300 miles per hour (about 500 kilometres an hour). A flight to Edmonton - 250 nautical miles - will take one hour and five minutes. The Jetstream 32 has a little faster speed than the 31, Gateman said.

"We're looking at three flights a week for now," Gateman said. "We're hoping to build that to five flights a week, depending on demand."

Flights are scheduled to run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays leaving Edmonton in the late morning and arriving in Cranbrook in the early afternoon. The second flight of the day will leave Cranbrook at about 3 p.m. arriving in Edmonton at about 4:20 p.m.

Integra Air will provide commuter services to northern Alberta tourists and workers to the East Kootenay region via Edmonton and on to Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie in Phase II of the project planned for the fall of 2011. This schedule has been designed to provide optimal connections to key connecting flights to locations such as Fort McMurray and Grand Prairie.

At the Cranbrook airport, Gateman said the company will be offering free parking, and unsecured boarding (meaning passengers won't have to go through security), for the convenience of passengers who are flying into Northern Alberta for work.

Other target markets are recreational property users and tourists. "We're also aiming for the 'VFR' (passengers) - 'visiting friends and relatives,'" Gateman said.

Once on board, Gateman said Integra provides a small breakfast with juice or water, and the company offers its "Wine Wednesdays" and "Beer and Pizza Fridays." Integra will be seeking to establish local caterers to provide the latter (the pizza), Gateman added.

For information on ticket packages, check out www.integraair.com.