First Air picks up slack in Resolute route

I am writing in response to the article “Canadian Drops Resolute,” which appeared in the June 8 edition of the Nunatsiaq News.

Canadian North provided service to this location for over 25 years and for over 10 years, First Air has served as the competition in Resolute Bay. Not only were we able to run a viable air service without any multi-million dollar contract, but as the competition, we were instrumental in keeping services and prices competitive.

Granted, running an airline in the north is expensive — rising fuel costs, Nav Canada charges, regulatory requirements, and harsh conditions all impact on our costs of operation. However, First Air is committed to the North and to providing the people living in this unique environment with an air service they can be proud of in terms of reliability and sustainability

Canadian North’s decision to drop Resolute in response to increased competition is reminiscent of similar actions taken by them in the eastern market in 1995. And we agree more notice, in line with industry standards, should have been given.

In response to Canadian North terminating air service to the community, First Air will honour all Canadian North passenger tickets and utilize our best efforts to re-accommodate all passengers on flights to and from Resolute Bay.

We are also adding another scheduled flight to meet the expected dernand and increasing our existing schedule from three to four scheduled flights per week for the peak summer season — without any added costs to our customers.

First Air has been part of the northern landscape for 53 years. The North is both our heritage and our commitment. As the North’s largest private sector employer, we believe no other airline understands or has a more vested interest in providing quality northern air service better than First Air.

J.R. (Jim) Ballingall
Vice President,
Sales and Marketing
First Air