Canadian North adds more Kitikmeot flights

Canadian North and First Air announced Nov. 3 that they’ve now added additional flights between Cambridge Bay and the eastern Kitikmeot communities of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Canadian North has added more new flights connecting communities in the Kitikmeot region, the company announced Nov. 3.

Responding to customer complaints about a leaner flight schedule in that region, Canadian North and First Air, as part of their codeshare agreement, launched new flights between Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay starting Nov. 2.

But Canadian North said Nov. 3 that it has now added additional flights between Cambridge Bay and the eastern Kitikmeot communities of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk (see schedule below.)

The codeshare agreement between Canadian North and First Air does not include flights to or from Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk; each airline operates and markets their own flights to and from these communities independently.

“We have welcomed the feedback from our customers and stakeholders about our Kitikmeot service and we have quickly implemented improvements in response to what we have heard,” said Canadian North’s Peter McCart in a Nov. 3 release.

“I’m confident our revised schedule will improve passenger and cargo service in the Kitikmeot. We will continue to look for opportunities to better meet the needs of our customers and communities.”

The new schedule upgrades come less than a month after McCart attended Kitikmeot Inuit Association meetings in Cambridge Bay, where we heard complaints from regional representatives that the codeshare has produced expensive delays and layovers on flights that now often full to capacity.

The flight schedule has hampered the delivery of health care across the territory, Nunavummiut say, delaying medical travel and the shipping of lab samples and medication.

The Government of Nunavut and the City of Iqaluit recently filed complaints with the Competition Bureau, which has since launched a review of the new code share agreement.

Meanwhile, First Air and Canadian North said they continue to assess their schedules to tweak routes based on customer demand.

During a Nov. 3 session of the legislative assembly, Aggu MLA Paul Quassa gave notice that on Nov. 5 he intends to move a motion, second by Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq, to invite representatives from Canadian North, Calm Air and First Air to appear at a special meeting of the full caucus in early 2016 to respond to members’ questions.

A previous version of this story said that these newest flights were added as part of the codeshare agreement between Canadian North and First Air. In fact, that agreement does not include flights to or from Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk, which both airlines operate independently.