Inuit applaud Canadian North discount, ask for more

Canadian North will pay half the price of one return ticket for any Inuit passengers flying with the airline over the next year.

Airline executives announced the discount while giving an update on their finances at the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. annual general meeting last week.

“It’s a thank-you for our shareholders,” said Christy Brewster, the airline’s northern community relations officer. “It’s basically because we’re in a healthy position that we can give something back.”

But some NTI delegates said the airline still needs to do more, complaining that the company doesn’t service Arctic Bay or Sanikiluaq. They added a request that the company change routes so customers don’t have to fly through Iqaluit as much.

The airline’s executive said they can’t afford to open new routes, but pledged to visit smaller communities over the next year to listen to their concerns.

Brewster also said that the airline would look at resurrecting their now-defunct family airfare.