Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as Air North, Yukon's Airline is a Canadian airline based in Whitehorse, Yukon. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo flights, charter flights, and ground handling services throughout the Yukon, with regular flights to the Northwest Territories, Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. Its main base is Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport.
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History
The airline was established by Joe Sparling and Tom Woods, and started flight training and general purpose charter operations in 1977 with a single Cessna 206. Throughout the 1980s the company steadily grew and acquired several more aircraft including Douglas DC-3s, a Douglas DC-4, and a variety of Cessnas, de Havillands and other aircraft. Also during the 1980s Air North began offering scheduled passenger and cargo service in addition to charter services. During the 1990s the fleet of piston-powered aircraft were replaced with more modern and reliable turboprop aircraft, and by 2000 the fleet consisted of one Beechcraft Model 99 and three Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2As.
The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation of Old Crow also began investing in Air North around this time, and with help from this investment Air North acquired a pair of Boeing 737-200 jets in 2002. These jets allowed Air North to begin competing with the mainline carriers between the Yukon and Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. These routes proved to be successful and in recent years Kelowna, Yellowknife and Ottawa have also been added to Air North's route map. Since Air North began scheduled jet service on the Yukon-South routes passenger traffic at the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport has doubled, and in 2014 nearly 60% of those passengers flew with Air North.
The Beech 99 was sold in 2005, a fourth Hawker Siddeley 748 acquired in 2006, and in the summer of 2008 a Boeing 737-200 combi was acquired, with its large main deck cargo door and moveable bulkhead allowing all-cargo as well as mixed cargo/passenger operations with the 737. Soon after a gravel kit was also installed on the 737 Combi, allowing the aircraft to operate on the airline's northern routes and expand charter capabilities.
Starting in 2010 a new fleet expansion and modernization plan was put into action, beginning with a larger B737-400 and a winglet equipped B737-500. In 2012 a fifth HS748 (this one a pure freighter equipped with the large freight door) and a second 737-500 were acquired. 2014 saw the arrival of the third 737-500, sporting an updated livery. A fourth 737-500 was put into service in 2016. With the newer 737s in service the two non-gravel equipped 737-200s and one HS-748 have been retired and are now used for spare parts and training. Completion of the fleet expansion and modernization plan is expected to take place over the next few years, with a gradual replacement of the aging HS-748 fleet with ATR-42 aircraft.
Since the arrival of the Boeing 737s, the main Air North base in Whitehorse has steadily expanded. It now includes the original hangar which is now used as a cargo warehouse and ground equipment shop, two aircraft maintenance hangars, a reservations and administration building, an in-house catering and cabin services department, and a fueling facility. Air North also operates secondary bases in Vancouver, B.C., Edmonton, Alberta, and Dawson City, Yukon.
In conjunction with North of Ordinary Media, Air North launched its inflight magazine, Yukon, North of Ordinary in February 2007. Yukon, North of Ordinary is published quarterly with a press run of 20,000. It is available in-flight, via subscriptions, and in bookstores across Canada. The magazine is owned and operated by North of Ordinary Media of Carcross, Yukon.
Also in the mid-2000s Air North opened its own flight kitchen in Whitehorse, and has since become well known for its friendly service and delicious in flight snacks. Most scheduled flights include a beverage service and a complimentary light meal made fresh daily, followed by a complimentary dessert such as cheese cake or fresh cookies. Yukon products are featured when possible, and often include Midnight Sun coffee and Yukon Brewing beer. Over the years Air North has won several awards for its outstanding customer service. Air North was recently named "the 2nd most loved airline in the world" by Fortune Magazine.
Currently the mainstay of Air North's work is scheduled passenger and cargo flights between Whitehorse and Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Ottawa, Dawson City, Old Crow and Inuvik. Air North also runs regular freight trips and fuel-haul flights to the fly-in only community of Old Crow, Yukon. In addition to scheduled routes, Air North is also involved in a variety of charter work and they offer passenger, combi, cargo and fuel-haul charter services to anywhere in North America with both the HS-748s and Boeing 737s. Regular charter customers include mine operators, oil companies, cruise ship operators, fishing lodges, sports teams, and many others. The remainder of Air North's revenue comes from ground handling services at Whitehorse, Dawson City, Old Crow, Edmonton and Vancouver Airports, as well as Jet-A refuelling services at Whitehorse. Air North is currently main provider of Jet-A fuel service in Whitehorse and is also the ground handler for Condor Airlines in Whitehorse, as well as American Airlines, United Airlines and Aeromexico in Vancouver.
Air North is currently owned by Joseph Sparling (51%) (President, CEO, and Boeing 737 Captain) and the Vuntut Development Corporation (49%), an arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. Air North is now one of the largest private sector employers in the Yukon Territory. As of 2015 Air North has over 500 employees and more than 1,200 Class C & D shareholders.
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Destinations
Scheduled flights
As of January 2016, Air North provides scheduled service to the following destinations.
- Canada
- Alberta
- Calgary (Calgary International Airport)
- Edmonton (Edmonton International Airport)
- British Columbia
- Kelowna (Kelowna International Airport)
- Vancouver (Vancouver International Airport)
- Northwest Territories
- Inuvik (Inuvik (Mike Zubko) Airport)
- Yellowknife (Yellowknife Airport)
- Ontario
- Ottawa (Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport)
- Yukon
- Dawson City (Dawson City Airport)
- Old Crow (Old Crow Airport)
- Whitehorse (Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport) - Hub
- Alberta
Charter flights
In addition to scheduled flights, Air North offers passenger, freight and combi charter services throughout the Yukon and across North America. Both the HS-748s and 737s are regularly chartered for mining, forestry, sports teams, fishing lodges, cruise tours, and a variety of other customers.
Air North provides seasonal vacation flights to:
- Victoria (Victoria International Airport)
- Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport)
- Reno (Reno-Tahoe International Airport)
Air North provides Seasonal Fishing Charters from Vancouver International Airport to:
- Masset (Masset Airport)
- Bella Bella, BC (Denny Island Aerodrome)
Air North provides Seasonal Cruise Ship Charters from Dawson City Airport to:
- Fairbanks (Fairbanks International Airport)
Fleet
Current fleet
As of January 2016 the Air North fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Historic fleet
Aircraft previously operated include:
- Beechcraft Model 18
- Beechcraft Queen Air
- Beechcraft Model 99
- Boeing 737-200Adv
- Britten-Norman Islander
- Cessna 150
- Cessna 172
- Cessna 185
- Cessna 206
- Cessna Skymaster
- de Havilland Beaver
- de Havilland Otter
- de Havilland Caribou
- Douglas DC-3
- Douglas DC-4
- Fairchild F-11 Husky
Accidents and incidents
- On 20 September 1987, Piper PA-31 Navajo C-GPAC crashed on a flight from Whitehorse to Juneau, Alaska killing all five on board. The plane crashed into a glacier at 4,500 ft (1,400 m).
- On 19 August 1995, Douglas C-47B C-GZOF crashed on approach to Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, British Columbia killing one of the three crew. The aircraft was on a ferry flight to Prince Rupert Airport when the starboard propeller went into overspeed and the decision was made to return to Vancouver International.
- On 14 August 1996, Douglas DC-4 C-FGNI crashed shortly after takeoff from Bronson Creek mine in Northern B.C. with three crew and a full load of cargo on board. On climbout #2 engine caught fire and eventually separated from the aircraft. The crew attempted to bring the aircraft back to land, however the aircraft couldn't maintain altitude on three engines and the crew instead landed in the creek about 1.2 nautical miles (2.2 km; 1.4 mi) from the airstrip, where all three crew were able to escape the wreckage. The first officer and load master swam to shore, but unfortunately the captain was never found and presumed to have drowned.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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