Air Inuit faces many high costs

In reply to Mary’s letter published in Nunatsiaq News, June 11, 1999, regarding the high cost of transportation, I would like to shed some light on issues raised that may not be well understood by many people.

Aviation is probably the most expensive transportation service available to the public anywhere in the world. It is a fact that elsewhere, air transportation is a luxury that is not accessible to everyone because of its restrictive cost

Unfortunately in the North, it is not a luxury, but rather a necessity because of the lack of infrastructure for other methods of transportation, as found in southern Canada.

Like other businesses operating in the North, Air Inuit Ltd. must face the high cost of operation and maintenance of its aircraft fleet, ground infrastructures, and equipment.

As well, we have to transfer the extremely high Nav Can charges, imposed on us by this federal entity, to our customers as we do not benefit from the exemptions that operators in Nunavut are getting for being above the 60th parallel, even though we already pay more taxes, being in a province and having the same operating conditions.

Air Inuit Ltd., a wholly Inuit-owned company, ensures a well-balanced scheduled and charter service to all Nunavik communities in order for the population to benefit from all essential and public services that depend on air transportation. In addition, due to the lack of public and government funding for youth and social activities, Air Inuit provides for discounts that otherwise would make those activities impossible.

I do not think that it would be beneficial to Nunavik, in the medium and long-term, to invite and give our business to outside companies with no local or regional investments and no commitments.

I sincerely believe that Air Inuit is one of the best corporate citizens in the region and that all Inuit should be proud of its ownership of the airline, which has definitely changed air transportation for the better and has provided much employment over the past 20 years.

Jean Dupuis
Director,
Nunavik Operations
Air Inuit