Airline’s new baggage rules won’t affect Nunavut medical patients

Scheduled medical travel will not be impacted by the reduced baggage allowance on Canadian North flights, Nunavut’s health department said this week. (FILE PHOTO)

The territorial government wants to remind Nunavummiut that new baggage allowance rules won’t affect patients travelling for medical care.

Canadian North — one of the two major commercial airlines serving Nunavut — announced new baggage restrictions last month that, starting June 15, will lower the maximum checked baggage weight to 50 pounds from the current 70 pounds.

The airline will apply extra fees for the second and subsequent bags depending on the type of flight you book.

But scheduled medical travel will not be impacted by the reduced baggage allowance, Nunavut’s health department said this week.

“People travelling on medical travel will continue to be allowed to check in two items (maximum of 32 kilograms/70 pounds per item),” the department said in a June 9 release.

Nunavummiut can read more about medical travel in the territory here.

Canadian North first announced baggage restrictions in 2014, but then backed down on the unpopular change a month later.

This time around, the airline said the restrictions were part of its “strategy to improve long-term sustainability.”

There is no word yet on whether Canadian North’s codeshare partner, First Air, will follow suit and make similar changes.