Can Air Canada really compete?

The news that Air Canada will soon invade the shores of Nunavut seems to have excited lot of people.

In view of the huge investments made in this community by both First Air and Canadian North, I wonder if Air Canada is prepared to make that kind of commitment to this region.

There is no question that the term competition is meaningless with regard to the cost of services we get from the current carriers. Their rates are exactly the same. However they have provided this region with reliable, safe, and regular service.

Both companies have built new or refurbished their cargo handling facilities. First Air have invested in a jumbo jet for their cargo service.
Air Canada has no such plans. The aircraft they plan to use is small, and has limited baggage space and cold weather limitations.

It is always a wonder to me,on a return flight from the south to see families traveling north arriving at the counter with huge quantities of baggage, trunks, and large plastic containers.

Neither First Air nor Canadian challenge these passengers about their overweight loads. I have never seen them charge for the excesses. I can’t imagine seeing such events at the Air Canada counter, or for that matter any other airline in the world

Both First Air and Canadian offer excellent breakfasts and other meals on their north and south bound flights.I have flown on most of the world’s largest international airlines and the food served is dreadful or non-existent.

Air Canada charges a fee for a sandwich or a cookie. How will they compete with our established carriers? They will need to use a more spacious aircraft in order to carry hot food and beverages, and vast quantities of baggage.

There is no doubt that the cost of flying north and south in this region is very high. For the time being, we must remember that the airplanes that bring the mail, the fresh food, the beer for the bars, and tons of other freight must return south without cargo.

Those empty spaces have to be paid for, hence part of the high overall cost. Perhaps in the future, with the development of Nunavut’s mining industry, quantities of gold and other precious metals,can be flown south using up those empty cargo spaces, which will reduce fares.

Is Air Canada prepared to match the service offered by the current carriers? I doubt it. So don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Bryan Pearson
Iqaluit

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