GN should divide medical travel contract

The Government of Nunavut, namely the minister of health, is about to make a decision that could affect the price of air travel for all of us.

The GN will award the three-year “Medical travel on scheduled airlines” contract worth millions of dollars per year.

If this contract is awarded to only one airline, it could force the other company to re-evaluate the continuation of certain routes, especially the Iqaluit to Ottawa route.

The GN has a very important role to play in ensuring that the air transportation industry remains healthy and that all Nunavut consumers have cost-effective choices. The magnitude of the medical travel contract and how it is allocated is a key element in maintaining that competitive environment.

The Yukon Government recognizes the role of government in transportation and the essential need for competition. To this end, its model ensures the sharing of medical travel business between the two major carriers in the Yukon and provides both a high-quality service to customers and an economic advantage to the Yukon Government.

If you want a competitive airline industry in Nunavut, I encourage you to write to Ed Picco, minister of health, and to your MLA. Tell them that you believe the GN and its constituents would be better served by developing a medical travel model similar to the one in the Yukon.

For those who have lived in Iqaluit and the Baffin region for more than four years, think back to the costs and consequences when there was only one major carrier operating on the Iqaluit to Ottawa route.

Paul Landry
Iqaluit