{"id":357659,"date":"2024-07-24T12:38:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T16:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/?post_type=news&p=357659"},"modified":"2024-07-24T12:38:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T16:38:46","slug":"air-north-receives-6m-from-canadian-government-to-modernize-fleet-expand-infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/news\/air-north-receives-6m-from-canadian-government-to-modernize-fleet-expand-infrastructure\/","title":{"rendered":"Air North receives $6M from Canadian government to modernize fleet, expand infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a bid to bolster northern businesses, the Government of Canada has announced a $6 million investment in Yukon-based airline, Air North. The funding, a repayable contribution provided by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), will support the carrier\u2019s jet fleet renewal plan and infrastructure expansion, which includes a larger hangar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor, during a July 22 event at Air North\u2019s headquarters in Whitehorse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investment will support the addition of a modern and more fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 to Air North\u2019s fleet; allow the airline to acquire essential tools and spare parts for maintenance; and enable construction of a new 52,800-square-foot hangar in Whitehorse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new aircraft was ferried to Whitehorse by captains Evan Coty and Ryan Kinney. Simon Blakesley Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project will enable Air North to stay competitive, save on maintenance costs, and lower its fuel consumption per seat by up to 20 percent,\u201d stated Minister Vandal. \u201cOur government supports northern-based businesses to stay competitive and address the climate-related challenges communities are facing by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. With this forward-thinking project, Air North is enhancing its capacity while striving to achieve its climate goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 47 years, the airline has expanded from a single six-seat airplane to a mixed fleet of Boeing 737 jets (-400s and -500s) and ATR 42 turboprops. The introduction of the 737-800 to the fleet marks the most significant upgrade in Air North\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new aircraft (C-FNYU) arrived in Whitehorse on July 10, 2024, after being ferried from Kelowna, B.C., by captains Evan Coty and Ryan Kinney. Air North is leasing the new-gen airliner from Aircraft Engine Lease Finance (AELF) \u2014 an announcement<\/a> that was first made in April this year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air North unveiled changes to its iconic livery with the arrival of the new 737-800 jet. Painted below the cockpit windows are the words \u201cJidii nakhwats\u2019oo gogwiji\u0142cheii nakhwadrii ts\u2019at tr\u2019agwanah\u2019in,\u201d which is Gwich\u2019in for \u201cvision the heart sees\u201d \u2014 a nod to the airline\u2019s partnership with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, which began in 1998. As well, the aircraft\u2019s midnight sun orange tail now includes a caribou, which is the Vuntut Gwitchin symbol of survival, pride, and strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The aircraft\u2019s midnight sun orange tail now includes a caribou, which is the Vuntut Gwitchin symbol of survival, pride, and strength. Simon Blakesley Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“Our jet fleet renewal is a significant step that ensures we can continue to provide a great product at a fair price for years to come,\u201d said Joe Sparling, president and CEO of Air North. \u201cThis project will strengthen Yukon\u2019s economy, contribute to making the territory a better place to live and work, and help to address environmental goals. We are extremely grateful to CanNor for providing financing to help us move forward with this important initiative.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air North provides scheduled flights to three northern communities and connects the Yukon with eight gateway cities across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The airline said it will share details about C-FNYU\u2019s first flight in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A $6 million investment from the Canadian government will support Air North’s jet fleet renewal plan and infrastructure expansion, which includes a larger hangar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":357662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-357659","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","entry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/357659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}