Air North
Encyclopedia
Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as Air North, Yukon's Airline is a Canadian
airline
based in Whitehorse
, Yukon
. It operates scheduled passenger, charter, cargo and ground handling services throughout the Yukon, with flights to the Northwest Territories
, Alaska
, British Columbia
, and Alberta
. Its main base is Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport.
s, a Douglas DC-4
, and a variety of Cessna
s, de Havilland
s and Beechcraft
s. From 1996 the fleet of piston-powered aircraft were replaced with more modern turboprop
aircraft, and by the late 1990s the fleet consisted of one Beechcraft Model 99
and three Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2As. A pair of Boeing 737-200 jets were acquired in 2002, the Beech 99 was sold in 2005, and a fourth Hawker Siddeley 748 was acquired in 2006. In summer 2008, to add capacity and versatility to the fleet, a Boeing 737-200 combi
was acquired, with its large main deck cargo door and moveable bulkhead allowing all-cargo as well as mixed cargo/passenger operations with the 737
, similar to what was already being done with the HS748s. In addition to the -200s, a larger 737-400
and a winglet equipped -500 were acquired in 2010.
Near the end of 2011 C-GNAU (one of the first two 737s delivered to Air North) made it's final landing into Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport. Air North retired the aircraft due to the requirement to install lap joint
s. Both of Air North's other 737-200 aircraft already had them installed. C-GNAU is currently being used for spare parts, however there is the possibility of installing the lap joints and returning the aircraft into full service.
Air North is owned by Joseph Sparling (51%) (President) and Vuntut Development (49%), an arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
. It now has over 200 employees (as of May 2008), and over 1200 Class C & D shareholders.
Since the arrival of the Boeing 737s, the Air North property has expanded and now includes the original Hawker Hangar and cargo area, a new 737 tent-hangar, a new reservations/administration building, an in-house catering and cabin services department, and a small ground equipment hangar
. Currently being considered are plans to replace the old Hawker Hangar and 737 tent with a new hangar large enough to fully enclose both an HS-748 and a 737 at the same time, or a single Boeing 767
or Airbus A310
sized aircraft. In conjunction with Harper Street Publishing, Air North launched its inflight magazine
, Yukon, North of Ordinary in February 2007. Yukon, North of Ordinary is published quarterly with a press run of 20,000. It is available inflight, via subscriptions, and in bookstores across Canada. The magazine is owned and operated by Harper Street Publishing of Carcross, Yukon
.
Air North also offers charter services across North America.
Air North provides seasonal vacation flights to:
Additionally Transport Canada
has a Cessna 172
and a Cessna 206 listed as registered to Air North but with their certificates cancalled.
At Vancouver International Airport, Air North was the Ground and Passenger Service Handler
for airline partner Harmony Airways
before they ceased operations in the spring of 2007. Air North is the sole provider of ground handling for American Airlines
at Vancouver. The ground handling operation is also equipped to provide services for both jet and turboprop charter aircraft. Air North frequently provides support and equipment rental to much larger ground handlers, such as Handlex and Servisair
.
At Calgary International Airport, Air North uses WingTips Airport Services
for passenger services, and Servisair for ramp services. WingTips provides agents for check-in, departures, and arrivals. Servisair provides ramp and baggage services.
At Inuvik Airport, Air North flights are handled by First Air
.
At Whitehorse International Airport, Air North runs its own operation, as well as all ground handling for Condor and Edelweiss Air
. Also, when Air Canada
or Air Canada Express
overnights at Whitehorse, the return catering is removed from the aircraft and stored at the Air North catering facility.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Whitehorse
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. It operates scheduled passenger, charter, cargo and ground handling services throughout the Yukon, with flights to the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Its main base is Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport.
History
The airline was established and started operations in 1977 with a single Cessna 206. Later came Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s, a Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
, and a variety of Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
s, de Havilland
De Havilland Canada
The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
s and Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
s. From 1996 the fleet of piston-powered aircraft were replaced with more modern turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft, and by the late 1990s the fleet consisted of one Beechcraft Model 99
Beechcraft Model 99
|-See also:-External links:*...
and three Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2As. A pair of Boeing 737-200 jets were acquired in 2002, the Beech 99 was sold in 2005, and a fourth Hawker Siddeley 748 was acquired in 2006. In summer 2008, to add capacity and versatility to the fleet, a Boeing 737-200 combi
Combi
In commercial aviation, the term combi refers to versions of various aircraft that can be used for either passenger, as an airliner would, or cargo duties, as a freighter would, and often have a partition in the aircraft cabin to allow both uses at once...
was acquired, with its large main deck cargo door and moveable bulkhead allowing all-cargo as well as mixed cargo/passenger operations with the 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, similar to what was already being done with the HS748s. In addition to the -200s, a larger 737-400
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
and a winglet equipped -500 were acquired in 2010.
Near the end of 2011 C-GNAU (one of the first two 737s delivered to Air North) made it's final landing into Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport. Air North retired the aircraft due to the requirement to install lap joint
Lap joint
In woodworking or metal fitting, a lap joint is a technique for joining two pieces of material by overlapping them. A lap may be a full lap or half lap....
s. Both of Air North's other 737-200 aircraft already had them installed. C-GNAU is currently being used for spare parts, however there is the possibility of installing the lap joints and returning the aircraft into full service.
Air North is owned by Joseph Sparling (51%) (President) and Vuntut Development (49%), an arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Old Crow, Yukon. As the name indicates, the language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin language....
. It now has over 200 employees (as of May 2008), and over 1200 Class C & D shareholders.
Since the arrival of the Boeing 737s, the Air North property has expanded and now includes the original Hawker Hangar and cargo area, a new 737 tent-hangar, a new reservations/administration building, an in-house catering and cabin services department, and a small ground equipment hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
. Currently being considered are plans to replace the old Hawker Hangar and 737 tent with a new hangar large enough to fully enclose both an HS-748 and a 737 at the same time, or a single Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
or Airbus A310
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
sized aircraft. In conjunction with Harper Street Publishing, Air North launched its inflight magazine
Inflight magazine
An Inflight magazine is a free magazine distributed via the seats of an airplane by an airline company.The first inflight magazine was that of Pan American World Airways; now most airlines are distributing magazines...
, Yukon, North of Ordinary in February 2007. Yukon, North of Ordinary is published quarterly with a press run of 20,000. It is available inflight, via subscriptions, and in bookstores across Canada. The magazine is owned and operated by Harper Street Publishing of Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation....
.
Destinations
As of 24 November 2011 Air North provides scheduled service to the following destinations:- Canada
- Alberta
- CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
(Calgary International AirportCalgary International AirportCalgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
) - EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
(Edmonton International AirportEdmonton International AirportEdmonton International Airport is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton region in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada providing regularly scheduled nonstop flights to over fifty communities in Canada, the United...
)
- Calgary
- British Columbia
- VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(Vancouver International AirportVancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
)
- Vancouver
- Northwest Territories
- Inuvik (Inuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik (Mike Zubko) AirportInuvik Airport is located east of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
)
- Inuvik (Inuvik (Mike Zubko) Airport
- Yukon
- Dawson City (Dawson City AirportDawson City AirportDawson City Airport is located east of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, in the Klondike River valley, and is operated by the Yukon government. It has a terminal building and like most airports in its class, the runway is not paved. The gravel runway is long and at an elevation of...
) - Old CrowOld Crow, Yukon-Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary...
(Old Crow AirportOld Crow AirportOld Crow Airport is located in Old Crow, Yukon, Canada, and is operated by the Yukon government. The gravel runway is long and is at an elevation of . The airport is extremely important to the community, which is not accessible by road....
) - WhitehorseWhitehorse, YukonWhitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
(Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport)
- Dawson City (Dawson City Airport
- Alberta
- United States
- Alaska
- FairbanksFairbanks, AlaskaFairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
(Fairbanks International AirportFairbanks International AirportFairbanks International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, a city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska....
)
- Fairbanks
- Alaska
Air North also offers charter services across North America.
Air North provides seasonal vacation flights to:
- KelownaKelownaKelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
(Kelowna International AirportKelowna International AirportKelowna International Airport is a Canadian airport located approximately 10 minutes or northeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on Highway 97....
) - VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
(Victoria International AirportVictoria International AirportVictoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is north northwest of the city, in North Saanich, quite close to the town of Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula...
) - Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
(McCarran International AirportMcCarran International AirportMcCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
)
Fleet
As of 24 November 2011 the Air North fleet consists of the following aircraft:| Aircraft | No. of Aircraft | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
5 | 737-200, 737-400, 737-500 | All are used on the southern runs, seating ranges from 120 to 153 and one 200 series is a combi Combi In commercial aviation, the term combi refers to versions of various aircraft that can be used for either passenger, as an airliner would, or cargo duties, as a freighter would, and often have a partition in the aircraft cabin to allow both uses at once... aircraft, C-FANB, C-FJLB, C-GANH, C-GANV, C-GNAU |
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 4 | Series 2A | Up to 40 passengers or 10000 lb (4,535.9 kg), C-FAGI, C-FCSE, C-FYDU, C-FYDY |
Additionally Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
has a Cessna 172
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
and a Cessna 206 listed as registered to Air North but with their certificates cancalled.
Previously operated
Aircraft previously operated include:- Beechcraft Model 18Beechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
- Beechcraft Queen Air
- Beechcraft Model 99Beechcraft Model 99|-See also:-External links:*...
- Britten-Norman IslanderBritten-Norman IslanderThe Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
- Cessna 150Cessna 150The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane, that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.The Cessna 150 is the seventh most produced civilian plane ever, with 23,839 aircraft produced...
- Cessna 172Cessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
- Cessna 185Cessna 185-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...
- Cessna 206
- Cessna SkymasterCessna SkymasterThe Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal...
- de Havilland BeaverDe Havilland Canada DHC-2 BeaverThe de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
- de Havilland OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-3 OtterThe de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, but was overall a larger aircraft.-Design and...
- de Havilland CaribouDe Havilland Canada DHC-4 CaribouThe de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...
- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
Ground handling
At Vancouver International Airport, Air North was the Ground and Passenger Service Handler
Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...
for airline partner Harmony Airways
Harmony Airways
Harmony Airways was an airline headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, a suburb of Vancouver. It operated holiday flights from Canada to Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada and Manchester...
before they ceased operations in the spring of 2007. Air North is the sole provider of ground handling for American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
at Vancouver. The ground handling operation is also equipped to provide services for both jet and turboprop charter aircraft. Air North frequently provides support and equipment rental to much larger ground handlers, such as Handlex and Servisair
Servisair
Servisair is an aircraft ground handling company, operating at 175 airports worldwide.It is a subsidiary of Derichebourg. Its head office is in the Servisair House in Runcorn, Cheshire...
.
At Calgary International Airport, Air North uses WingTips Airport Services
WingTips Airport Services
WingTips Airport Services is a company offering airline representation. It is owned by C N Richardson Marketing Ltd and was founded in Calgary, Alberta in 1990, by Chris Richardson.-History:...
for passenger services, and Servisair for ramp services. WingTips provides agents for check-in, departures, and arrivals. Servisair provides ramp and baggage services.
At Inuvik Airport, Air North flights are handled by First Air
First Air
Bradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, is an airline headquartered in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. It operates services to 30 communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Northwest Territories. The majority of its fleet is available for charters worldwide...
.
At Whitehorse International Airport, Air North runs its own operation, as well as all ground handling for Condor and Edelweiss Air
Edelweiss Air
Edelweiss Air AG is a charter airline with its head office in the Edwelweiss Air Operations Center on the property of Zurich Airport and in Kloten, Switzerland, operating mainly out of Zurich Airport, with a smaller base at Geneva International Airport...
. Also, when Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
or Air Canada Express
Air Canada Express
Air Canada Express is a brand name under which four regional airlines operate feeder flights for Air Canada. They primarily connect smaller cities with Air Canada's domestic hub airports and focus cities, although they offer some point-to-point service. On April 26, 2011, it was reported that Air...
overnights at Whitehorse, the return catering is removed from the aircraft and stored at the Air North catering facility.
Accidents and incidents
- On 19 August 1995, Douglas C-47B C-GZOF crashed on approach to Vancouver International Airport, RichmondRichmond, British ColumbiaRichmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
, British Columbia killing one of the three crew. The aircraft was on a ferry flight to Prince Rupert AirportPrince Rupert AirportPrince Rupert Airport, , is located west southwest of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
when the starboard propeller went into overspeed and the decision was made to return to Vancouver International.