Does First Air serve tourists? Or emergency patients?

I’m questioning what priorities First Air has in who they serve first. I just experienced something with the airline recently that makes me question them even more.

My daughter had a medical emergency where she had to have an emergency surgery for the next morning. This surgery can be done only in the South because these services are not available in the North.

Through the hospital in Kuujjuaq, the flight arrangements were made for her and for an escort, since the patient, under 18 years old, had to leave that same day.

But to our surprise, even though we were being sent as an emergency case, we were told we could not get in the plane headed for Montreal because there were no seats available, even with the doctor sending a note to the airlines for at least the patient to get on the plane.

But we were refused. Their priorities were the American hunters and the travellers from the cruise ship who were leaving on that same flight.

My question is, who is First Air serving? Is it just for their own profit from outsiders? Or the Inuit peole who Makivik says are the airline owners?

I would think that any emergency case would have priority in getting on the plane, even if you have to bump some people off, no matter who they are.

We were very lucky my daughter made it okay, even with all the trouble we had, to get her to some medical care.

Maybe next time, someone else won’t be as lucky.

Elena K. Labranche
Kuujjuaq