NWT Air was founded in 1962 Robert Parsons “Bob” Engle as a Yellowknife, NWT based charter operator with a Beech 18 on floats. Over the decades the airline advanced to DC-3, DC-6, Lockheed L188 Electra and in the late 1980s to Boeing 737-200 Combi aircraft, which were ideally suited to the market placed demands of the region.

By 1992, Bob Engle had sold his airline to Air Canada as their Northern Connector airline, although he was very smart and retained owership of the fleet of two Boeing 737s and the L382 Hercules, which were all leased to the airline with the finances guaranteed by Air Canada.