Canadian North to launch bigger jets for Kuujjuaq-Montreal route

Airline announced last week plans to bring Boeing 737-700s into service

Canadian North is bringing in a new fleet of 737-700s, one of which is shown here. The airline announced April 14 the addition of the planes to its Montreal-Kuujjuaq route. (File photo) (Photo courtesy Canadian North)

By Jorge Antunes

Canadian North has announced the launch of what it is calling its “next generation” Boeing 737-700 service between Montreal and Kuujjuaq.

At the same time, the airline is in the process of decommissioning the first of its older models of Boeing 737-300s, it said in a news release April 14.

Two more of the older planes will go out of service soon, with the remainder of Canadian North’s fleet of 737-300 passenger planes to be retired sometime later, said Trevor Wilde, interim vice-president for sales, marketing and distribution, in an interview Thursday.

The airline will continue to maintain its fleet of Boeing 737-300 Combi planes, which are combination passenger and cargo craft, “due to their incredible versatility,” Wilde said.

In total, Canadian North is bringing in five 737-700s, two of which are already in operation. Wilde did not provide a timeline for when the others would go into service.

The more-modern planes offer greater fuel efficiency and travel range, better overhead luggage storage space and in-seat power outlets. They will be capable of carrying medical stretchers if needed, the release said.

“The permanent stretcher setup will ensure an improved quality of health care and a much more relaxing experience for users,” said Larry N. Watt, executive director of Tulattavik Health Centre, in the release.

Tulattavik Health Centre is the primary health care provider and hospital in Kuujjuaq. It assists with medical travel to Nunavik’s Montreal health-care hub.

 

Share This Story

(33) Comments:

  1. Posted by Inuk from Nunavik on

    I don t see why Tulattavik dosn t just get their own jet , I m sure most of the passaneger on daily flights are hospital /escort bound.

    8
    6
  2. Posted by lol on

    More fuel efficient, more passengers, must mean continued price increases!

    18
    1
    • Posted by SARCASM on

      Increase in price, more bonus , for you know wo !!!

      8
      3
  3. Posted by Pick some up! on

    I heard there is a fire sale on the 737 Max.

    3
    2
  4. Posted by Grumpy Old Man on

    Canadian North hype: although this is called the “Boeing 737 Next Generation,” it has been produced since 1997. The last passenger version was built in 2019. It is NOT a new airplane, although it is very serviceable, and is used by many airlines. Southwest flies 381 of them, for example.

    It was replaced in 2016 by the 737 MAX.

    7
    2
    • Posted by Make Iqaluit Great Again on

      I’d rather fly in these older planes than the new 737 Max if you know what I mean……

      9
      2
  5. Posted by Arctic Aviator on

    Canadian North did not provide a timeline for when the aircraft would go into service.

    How many similar “promises” has Canadian North failed to deliver on?

    Has Canadian North earned our trust, or have we learned to just ignore Canadian North as nothing more than an unreliable source of baseless promises made by an airline that cannot deliver on even its current commitments to customers?

    As long as the airline’s toxic work environment and absence of strong leadership continues to motivate the best employees to quit, Canadian North will never be able to deliver on even the most basic improvements to customer service.

    Successful organizations do not try to impress people with what they plan to do, successful organizations are proud to show what they have actually accomplished.

    Even my children laughed when we were promised massive airships.

    9
    2
    • Posted by anon on

      Back in 2018 we were waiting for our Canadian North flight to Ottawa, and the plane was having mechanical problems that they were trying to sort out. The delay ended up being several hours. They provided regular updates and meal vouchers, and and after they finally got the problem solved every passenger got a copy of a letter from the Senior Director of Scheduled Services with an apology for failing to meet expectations and a discount code for 20% off our next flight with Cdn North.

      Compare that to now when cancellations and significant delays are met with nothing but ‘Call the 1-800 number’ (like a couple years back when Ottawa had that tornado event and the flight to Iqaluit didn’t land in YFB and had to turn back to YOW). Literally nothing has improved as a result of the merger of the two airlines.

      • Posted by Blinders on on

        Crocodile tears with our minor inconviences Mon ami, compare it with life in the Gaza, in Israel, the Sudan, Argentina…

  6. Posted by aboo on

    Interesting. Chrono Aviation just announced they will be flying from Montreal to Iqaluit 4 times a week, $699.00.

    Don’t let Canadian North squash them. Even if it costs you a few extra dollars. It will pay off in the long run. Be strong!

    27
    2
    • Posted by Where? on

      Where did they announce this? Google doesn’t seem to know.

      1
      2
    • Posted by Different airport though on

      Chrono will fly out of St Hubert airport YHU on the south shore instead of Dorval YUL where Cnaadian North flies from. Hopefully they’re successful though, the North needs more competition.

      11
      1
      • Posted by Michael on

        Chrono has been running the baffinland charter flight for years and already stop in Iqaluit every flight to fuel

        They no exactly what they doing and should face no surprises so they is no reason they shouldn’t succeed

        They are also replaced there 737-200 with 737-800 which are new the these Canadian north planes

        7
        0
    • Posted by Really on

      Is this really competition? Selling extra seats on their Baffinland flights… I wonder how many seats will be available?

      Here come the comments that Canadian North has high ticket prices. Yet if you book a flight that isn’t full more than 2 weeks in advance you can get a lower price.

      Also it’s easy to pick Iqaluit to the south when you have most of the plane sold. The extra 699 is gravy. People forget that flying to the communities is not profitable and is subsided by the southern routes

      2
      7
      • Posted by aboo on

        Well let’s see…. Canadian North has flights to Montreal twice a week, and this company has them four times a week. So that’s something.
        Also, I just looked for a one way flight from Iqaluit to Montreal for May 27, well over 2 weeks away, and the price is $1650.00, near $1000 more than this other outfit. .
        So I would say, yes, this is competition.

        11
        1
  7. Posted by Maq-Pat on

    “Next Generation”
    737-700s are a 30 year old design. Back from the pervious millennium…

    5
    2
  8. Posted by Oscar on

    All airlines have recycled airplanes from other airlines. These are not brand spanking new planes, the planes that CDN North get’s are old models from other southern based airline companies. They are new to CDN North, but not new in the airline industry. CDN North cannot afford to purchase brand new jets of this size and caliber.

    7
    1
  9. Posted by Glad I Left on

    There are a lot of good people trying their best at Canadian North, working away as pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, cargo handlers, and ticket agents, but the badly broken company constantly sets them up to fail, so they have no option but to leave.

    A constantly revolving door of high employ turnover does not provide a foundation for a stable company, and dubious plans noted in press releases are insignificant when compared to the empty promises that are made during the airline’s hiring process.

    Like hundreds of other people I’m glad I left Canadian North.

    The bad managers, the incompetent supervisors, and the workplace bullies have to be fired before Canadian North can ever hope to live up to any of the promises it makes.

    16
    2
  10. Posted by iqalummiut on

    ofcourse the CEO’s home base gets one of them first, not like nunavut is their bread and butter

    10
    1
  11. Posted by You don’t want this plane on

    This plane is not the plane anyone wants doing Ottawa Iqaluit. If you look up the specs of a 700 vs a 400 you will find they have smaller spaces in the belly for baggage…

    2
    3
  12. Posted by bad dad simeonie on

    wait a minute, is that the same Brand of Dangerous Boing Plane that lost a door in alaska?and the same plane that an enguner working at boing openly admit he was fire after admiting publicly that the plane was structury unstable and pose the posibility of falling appart in mid air. wow i would not want Boing in canadian north anymore, is’nt there other brand or safer plane manufacturer available on the market then one that could crash ? do we value public life in nunavyt and canada? then ban boing,its not a safe plane.

    1
    18
    • Posted by Do your research on

      This comment is uninformed.

      11
    • Posted by Uniformed on

      You have clearly never paid for a flight on Canada north and are assuming a lot of things. LOL
      Pay a ticket yourself and enjoy and easy breezy cover Canadian north

  13. Posted by Michael on

    They won’t be selling extra seats on the baffinland flights those are chartered not that there would be any extra seats to be had on those even if they weren’t

    3
    0
    • Posted by Public knowledge on

      They have publicly commented that this is what they are doing. The 800 has more seats then a 200. They can offer a fixed price because the mine is paying for the flight. I am not sure if Baffinland negotiated a discount for them selling the extra seats but they should…

  14. Posted by Iqalummiut on

    Does it have WiFi yet?

    3
    2
  15. Posted by Eskimo Joe©️ on

    Southwest Airlines Fly#1380. April 17, 2018. Deadly fan blades, stay away from the window frames.🤑

    • Posted by Walt W on

      GE/Safran is responsible for the engines. Do you blame Honda when your Yokohama tires explode?

  16. Posted by Chicken little on

    I guess you should just never fly again.

  17. Posted by Flabbergasted on

    In another news article published in N.N, the Makivvik Corporation is speaking like a true politicians. They want to purchase larger aircraft for the Inuit of the North but in another article they are speaking of knowledge holders wanting to help to stop climate change. This is contradiction at its finest.

  18. Posted by Bigger Jets Needed on

    How else can you get all alcohol and drugs to Kujj

    1
    1
  19. Posted by Nunavummiut on

    Makkivik Corp, Bullcrap, Again, they only treat the CN CEOs home base and it’s corporate board members home community better , just another Quebec Bull****, what a joke.

  20. Posted by asianik isumalik on

    We, the people of Central Nunavut would love to have the options of another airline flying to our communities. We face cancellations at all times due to having only one airline and outrageous prices. I’m sure the Government of Nunavut spends Millions of dollars on providing food, accommodations and re-bookings among other things.
    The Government of Nunavut should buy their own airline and save money instead of wasting it on a loser airline.

Comments are closed.