Community celebration to mark first Iqaluit-Nuuk direct flight
Barbecue, music and draw for 2 tickets to Greenland part of event set for Wednesday
Canadian North will mark the first direct flight from Iqaluit to Nuuk with a community celebration in Iqaluit on June 26. Weekly flights between the two cities will be available through Oct. 23. (File photo)
A party is in the works to celebrate the first flight between Iqaluit and Nuuk, Greenland.
Canadian North is planning a community gathering at the Iqaluit airport on June 26 featuring a barbecue, live music, and door prizes including two free plane tickets to Nuuk. It starts at 1:30 p.m. and runs until 4 p.m.
“Bring your friends and family for an afternoon of fun, food and celebration,” Canadian North announced on Facebook.
“Let’s make this a day to remember.”
Starting next week, two-hour flights between the capital cities of Nunavut and Greenland will be offered every Wednesday until Oct. 23.
Flights to Nuuk are scheduled to depart Iqaluit at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, while Iqaluit-bound flights are set to leave Nuuk that day at 2:55 p.m. local time and arrive in Iqaluit at 2 p.m., local time.
A one-way ticket will cost $392, Canadian North said in a news release in May.
Air Greenland will operate the direct flights on its 37-seat Dash 8 aircraft. The June 26 flight is fully booked.
Canadian North will offer connecting flights to Ottawa and Kuujjuaq for Iqaluit passengers.
“We’re excited to boost tourism, encourage regional and cultural collaboration, and drive economic development through this groundbreaking partnership,” said Shelly De Caria, president and CEO of Canadian North, in a news release last month.
With the passenger schedule so unreliable, so many employee positions unfilled, and so many cargo shipments delayed, lost and misdirected, perhaps CN management should focus on meeting even minimal acceptable standards of customer service, before they allow themselves to get distracted by throwing a party.
Trying to pretend that “everything is OK”, and attempting to distract people from the fact that CN is an inherently unreliable and dysfunctional organization is both counterproductive and unprofessional.
How many CN employees are still waiting for the basic resources that they require to do their job, and now they are told you will have to wait longer because “management is busy planning a party”.
The constantly revolving door of new hires soon leaving CN is the result of management being unable address even the most basic issues. Instead management stubbornly deludes themselves into believing “everything is OK with employee morale, because we bought them pizza”.
How is it cheaper to travel to Greenland than traveling to Southern Canada, let alone traveling within Nunavut.
It is probably cheaper because the route is being operated in partnership with Air Greenland, who are probably smart enough to know that if they attempt to pillage and rob people the way Canadian North does, the route can’t survive. In fact, the round trip Nuuk-Ottawa ticket price just proves that Canadian North is robbing people blind on that Iqaluit-Ottawa route they operate. There is also very little incentive for people in Greenland to travel this route because Ottawa is not necessarily a known or popular destination, and a gouged ticket price would not make it competitive for those who can easily and cheaply fly to Copenhagen or Iceland. Air Greenland and Icelandair operate a route to Iceland at the same price point, which has better connections to many North American cities, and charging people a high price to travel this long route through Iqaluit would not be competitive.
This is great to see, finally a link that makes sense. Great job Canadian North. Long overdue.
While many of the comments mentioned above obviously don’t understand what business is all about. Everything is not perfect all the time, however I say way to go CN management for getting this together, great job. Every business in Nunavut and many in southern Canada suffer due to lack of staff. CN brings in rotational staff to fill the gaps. Every airline faces delays and challenges, what do you expect when you have 1000’s of travelers and 100’s of employees.
Many employees enjoy being treated to pizza from time to time, I think its clear that the employees are generally happen.
Often all we do is criticize what the airline is doing and not focus on the good things they do for many of Nunavut’s communities. They support provided today is not comparable to the past.
Employee’s are unionized and treated very well by the airline. You always get a few that like to push buttons when they don’t get their own way.
The situation gets complicated when you have negative comments toward the airline from city councilors who are upset that the flight is delayed or canceled due to weather issues. And yes KS is always there to criticize when he gets to use VTA’s for travel or if he decides last minute to fly. Rates are the same everywhere. It is not cheap to fly cheap people.
Thank you CN for the great service that you give me and many others, we hope things can improve while we know you are doing the best you can do.
“we hope you improve but we know you are doing the best you can do”
“rates are the same everywhere”
are you the CEO of Canadian north trying to slip in some advertising?
Canadian north’s prices are OUTRAGEOUS and their business practices are even worse.
it is sometimes 2000 dollars one way for a 3 hour flight, that’s beyond anything on any other airline.
Their baggage rates just skyrocketed to “benefit us?”
do you know why the cost of living is so high in nunavut? It’s 100% two things.
greed from the North West Company
and greed from Canadian north.
I would like to hear your explanation for CN’s high employee turnover rate. Please explain this.
Please explain the innumerable negative employment reviews that are posted on numerous sites warning others to not work for CN.
Please explain the many inaccuracies in your post.
Please explain the lost, misdirected and delayed cargo shipments, when Summit, Buffalo and Air North have much better service records.
Many of the aircraft maintainers are not unionized, they are contract employees, with no benefits, no job security, and no respect from the company.
As I travel from base to base across Canada I continually meet aviation professionals who quit CN because they were never provided the resources that they were promised during the hiring process, just old poorly maintained equipment that broke down and leaked.
I have repeatedly met former CN employees who were all told on their very first day of work with CN that their manager is absolutely useless, and their immediate supervisor has a long record of past and present formal complaints and suspensions, but the company refuses to do the right thing and fire them.
Perhaps you should spend some time on the hangar floor and the cargo handling areas in order that you may educate yourself about the true state of affairs.
As a former CN employee, who is still in contact with the current employees, I can guarantee you that they are not treated great. Just cause they are unionized, doesn’t mean they are treated well.
Wow! A pizza party! What a great company.
Sounds like CN management is in the comments section trying to defend the rip off air.
Probably their comms guy, not the CEO. Probably the same one as BIM. You can tell by how tone-deaf the commenter is. “…Many employees enjoy being treated to pizza from time to time…” LMAO
‘It’s not cheap to fly cheap people’
What a gross, embarrassing statement. CN has repeatedly revealed itself to be a parasitic, greedy operation instead of corporate partner.
Half their workers are clueless about ticket rules. Booked a flight 3 months ago and they charged me the new bag fees when i was at the airport. Didn’t notice til later. Crooks!
Enjoy the pizza party
“Clueless” employees are the result of bad training. Canadian North’s training program is the worst I’ve ever seen. I quit because I never had the information that I needed to do my job. I went to another airline and I was amazed with how organized it was. At Canadian North I was always receiving contradictory information.
If I had a dollar for every time I was threatened by a Canadian North manager I would be able to buy my own airline. Setting people up to fail and then kicking them when they are down is the Canadian North way. Whenever I made a suggestion to improve customer service I was told that if I did not like how things were done I could go work somewhere else. I’m glad I did.
$392 each way. Well that is interesting. I went on to CN website to book a trip return. They redirected me to Air Greenland. Price for the ticket was $1980.00 return. Not quite the $784.00 I was expecting. Perhaps some kinks to work out still?
$784 is probably promo price. dynamic pricing at work here
Dear Nunatsiaq:
As a frequent traveler between the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, I cannot express enough admiration for the remarkable partnership between Canadian North Airlines and Air Greenland. Their recent collaboration to offer direct flights between Iqaluit and Nuuk marks a significant milestone in enhancing connectivity and fostering cultural exchange across our northern communities.
The direct flights not only streamline travel logistics but also serve as a testament to the preservation of our shared cultural heritage and familial ties. For generations, the Inuit peoples of Canada and Greenland have maintained strong bonds rooted in mutual respect, understanding, and a shared history that transcends borders. These flights not only make it easier for families and friends to reconnect but also facilitate the exchange of traditions, stories, and knowledge that are vital to our identities.
Imagine how transformative this partnership would have been in the days of Nukapinguaq, the revered Greenlandic explorer and storyteller. Nukapinguaq, known for his journeys across the Arctic, would surely have celebrated the ease with which today’s travelers can traverse the distance between Iqaluit and Nuuk. He understood the importance of connections among our communities and would have appreciated how these flights uphold and strengthen the cultural fabric he cherished.
Personally, I have experienced firsthand the joy of boarding these flights, knowing that each journey not only connects me to new destinations but also deepens my connection to our shared Arctic heritage. The warmth and hospitality of the crews from both Canadian North Airlines and Air Greenland further underscore the spirit of cooperation and unity that defines this partnership.
In conclusion, I commend Canadian North Airlines and Air Greenland for their visionary collaboration in bridging the gap between Iqaluit and Nuuk. Their commitment to preserving our cultural heritage and facilitating familial bonds sets a shining example for future generations. Together, they have created more than just a flight route—they have opened a gateway to a richer, more connected Arctic community.
Here’s to many more years of fruitful partnership and the continued celebration of our shared Arctic spirit.
Tommy
Ignoring problems and attempting to pretend that they do not exist does not help anyone or anything. Once problems are identified they must be investigated, addressed and prevented from occurring ever again. Far too many Canadian North customers and clients are continually being disappointed and delayed, and there is absolutely no indication that our concerns are ever being listened to. When my business suffers because the parts I need to maintain my equipment are still in Iqaluit or Yellowknife then my community and our economy suffers because of Canadian North’s failures.
It does not help when I meet Canadian North mechanics and they tell me that they are not surprised to hear about my problems, because they have trouble getting parts for the airplanes, and they are supposed to be company priority shipments.
Canadian North management seems to have protected themselves in their own protective dreamworld. Reality is often messy, but with the right people even the most complex problems can be fixed, pretending that everything is fine only prolongs the problem.